Blast To The Past!
by Omega Ultra
Summary: Curious about the disappearance of a strange boy, Lincoln recruits Lisa to send him back in time with the hope of meeting him. However, there is one thing that they forgot to account for: the way back.
1. Linc To The Past

**A/N Hey everyone! Happy National Novel Writer's Month! And to celebrate the occasion, I'm gonna write this fic during the entirety of the month! (Meaning 30 chapters long!) I'll talk more about the challenge in the other A/N. I hope you enjoy! Also, I'm finally tackling one of the original prompts I came up with!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 1: Linc To The Past!

"Lincoln! Lincoln, wake up!" A young, brown-haired girl in a green nightshirt and pants frantically shakes her brother- a boy with soft white hair.

"Ugh… Lisa, what's going on?" He groans, slowly opening his eyes as he does so.

The four-year-old pulls Lincoln from his bed, forcing him onto his feet, "Come on! I have to show you something!"

The boy does his best to rub the sleep out from his eyes, only for Lisa to pull him into her room. "Ok, but this better be important! It's…" he quickly scans the room, allowing his eyes to fall upon the clock, "Four AM!"

"Science waits for no man!" Lisa, already anticipating his reaction, counters, before running over to her workbench and lifting up a small, watch-like device.

"Huh, cool." Lincoln yawns, "Nice watch… thing."

"This isn't a thing!" Lisa flares her arms in annoyance, "After my friend Darcy talked just how much fun meeting ourselves from the past could be, I decided to create a device that allows the wearer to go through time." She turns to him, "But I need a test subject."

"Uh-huh." The boy shakes his head, "I'm not gonna test that thing. I'd rather not end up in another dimension."

"But Lincoln!" The young girl tries to counter. "This is a major scientific discovery!"

And yet, much to her dismay, Lincoln turns away, "Goodnight Lisa, I'm going back to bed. Show me whatever crazy thing you're talking about in the morning." And with that, he leaves the room.

 _ **Later…**_

"Lincoln! It's morning! Time to get up!"

*Ugh* The boy groans, while his mom continues, "It's a beautiful day outside! The birds are singing and the flowers are blooming! On days like these, kids like you should be playing outside, not wasting it away indoors!"

Knowing that his mother would not relent until he pulls himself from his slumber, the young boy takes a deep breath, before forcing himself up.

"Well?!" The woman continues.

"Ok mom! I'm up!" He tiredly falls back onto his pillow, before attempting to roll out of the bed and onto his feet... only to clumsily fall off his bed and flat on his face.

" _Well that's one way to get out of bed in the morning."_ He thinks, before throwing the bed sheet off, and exposing his nearly nude body to the cool summer morning. Given just how hot Royal Woods could get during summer nights, Lincoln finds it better that he sleeps in as little clothing as possible… which means only his underwear. "Well time to get started!"

Suddenly, Luan kicks his room door open making sure to greet, "Mornin' Linc-y!" before raising her camcorder, "Smile for the camera!"

Immediately, Lincoln's face goes red in embarrassment, while he desperately tries to cover himself, "Luan! Why right now?! I'm nude!"

The girl laughs in response, "Remember my one rule Linc! Have the camera on at all times!"

"Why are you even into video?" The brother asks in annoyance, while doing his best to keep himself as covered as possible.

Luan rubs her chin, "Hmm, well, when I was younger, some random kid Lori was dating told me to try it out." Then the young woman turns off the camera, "I guess he could somehow tell that I'd enjoy it!"

She then turns and walks out of the room, "Anyways see ya Linc! If ya need me I'll be recording everyone else!"

" _Well that's one way to get your heart pumpin'."_ Lincoln chuckles, "Ok, you do that Luan!" Before finally putting his clothes on and picking up the walkie talkie, "Come in Clyde, this is Lincoln! We still good for today?"

"Yep, Linc!" His friend joyfully responds, "And remember, don't forget to bring the goods!"

With that he goes into a drawer and pulls out a bag of pink candy with two cute dogs on it, labeled "Smile Dip." The boy nods, "Don't worry, I've still got em." Quickly, he checks to make sure his sisters aren't watching, before he packs some in his bag. "I'm on my way." And without another word, he throws the sac on his back and runs out his room door… only to be stopped by Lola and Lana dressed in safety gear.

"Halt!" The pageant girl orders, while her slightly older sister continuing for her, "We're the hall monitors again! So no running in the halls!"

"Ok then!" Linc calmly replies, "I'll walk within the speed limit!" before proceeding to run down the stairs, leaving the two sisters to whisper, "Dangit, he's out of our jurisdiction again."

" _Only a few more feet!"_ The boy thinks as he passes the kitchen with, "See ya mom I'm headed to Clyde's!"

His mother responds, "Ok sweetie, see ya later!" Though he probably doesn't hear her over the sound the door rapidly opening and slamming shut.

"Ahh summer!" the young Loud shouts, "The best time of the year to do whatever we want!" before looking into the Loud House yard and noticing Lynn just playing around randomly. Without warning, she backflips and kicks a soccer ball straight into him with, "Incoming!"

Lincoln groans in defeat, while Lynn helps him back up.

"Hey Lynn, Looks like you're having fun…" He says to his older sister.

"Yeah, some kid told me a while ago that the best way to have fun in sports is to make your own rules as you go!"

Then she laughs, before pretending to punch Linc, who promptly flinches in surprise, "Two for flinchin'!"

"Anyways Lynn, I'll be over at Clyde's if you need me."

She headbutts her soccer ball up and responds, "See ya Link! Tell him I say hi!"

"Ok!" He responds before running passed his sister and through the town of Royal Woods.

"Anyways," He declares, "There's nothing better to do on a summer day than hangin' out with your friends!" he turns to face a modern-looking home and runs over to the front door.

*Ring* The doorbell goes. And Clyde immediately answers. "Mornin' Lincoln! You ready for that game of cards you promised?"

The white-haired boy nods, "Yep! Come on! I got a new set!" He then pulls out a deck of cards as well as a game board, "Also, Lisa gave this to me to test out, so wanna use it?"

"I dunno, will explode like all the rest?"

He shrugs, "Probably not." Before walking in and unfolding it near the table, "Now come on! Let's play!"

So the two boys took seats at opposite ends of the board and began, "I'll draw first!" Lincoln declares, "And I'll play 'The obscene goblin!' This may give you more points, but at the cost of letting me draw one card!"

The green card pictured a man bent down with his head by a green goblin's crotch. What he's doing in the picture is, for obvious reasons, blurred out.

"Then I'll play my Corn soldier in attack mode!" he declares and the board emits the image of a golden corn man. "I'll end, your move Clyde."

"Ok." The boy responds as he draws his next card, "I play the Pig." He then places the card on the board and creates the image of a small pink pig, much to Lincoln's laughs.

"The 'Pig' Clyde?! That card's so old! It won't win this time!"

His friend chuckles in response, "You never know Lincoln, sometimes old can easily beat new."

"Well then," Lincoln retorts, "Let's see what it's got!"

 _ **Five Minutes Later…**_

"Wha…" The boy goes, "How?! How is that pig so strong?!"

Clyde's face beams with joy, "Easy Lincoln. You never know when a single card is strong, especially in the right hands."

"How do you even know how to play it like that? It's almost universally seen as a horrible card." Lincoln responds with an annoyed tone, "That card came out like six years ago! Surely the game has evolved since then!"

Clyde nods, "Of course the game's changed, the problem is that no single deck has a way of countering this guy." He shows off his pig card, "As for who taught me how o play… when I was around five years old, a kid came to stay here for a few days. He got me a pack of cards and it just so happened to have the Pig. He told me of all the crazy things it could do."

"Huh, know where he is now? Maybe he could come up with cool strategies for me to use."

Clyde shakes his head in response, "I have no idea where he went. Last I heard is that he went to a dance and disappeared."

"Well maybe your dads-"

"Nope, they don't know either." He responds, cutting Lincoln off.

Lincoln rubs his chin, "Well then, maybe Lisa could find him! If anyone can, it'll be her. We'll play more later."

"Ok." Clyde responds, "Just don't get yourself hurt!"

"I'll try." He chuckles, before turning running out of the home and back to his own.

He races up the front stairs… only to be stopped by his Goth sister when he's just inches away from the main stairway.

"Hey Lincoln." Lucy says, as she appears from the shadows, causing the boy to jump in surprise, "I have another poem for you."

In a rushed tone, Lincoln responds, "Lucy I want to get this up to Lisa-"

Only for Lucy to cut him off with, "Time, it's a fickle thing. You can't change the past. Though the road you take to avoid it will often lead you to it."

"I'm not sure how to think of that." Linc responds, before turning around and running up the stairs and bursting into Lisa's room with, "Lisa! Are you busy right now?!"

The four-year old flinches, and accidently drops a silver ball into a vial of water. "Dangit!" she shouts before jumping off the stool and taking cover. A few minutes of waiting later she stands up again and wipes the sweat from her brow, "Phew, close one." Before turning to Lincoln, "Lincoln! You know better than to burst into my room! You could've blown up my experiment!"

"Oh, sorry Lisa." He responds, "I just wanted to see if you could find someone that disappeared a few years ago…"

"Well, since you have almost caused my experiment to undergo explosive decomposition, I might as well do something while I wait for the ball to dry off." She sighs in defeat, before pulling the ball from the vial and resting it on her workbench, "I need something to identify them with."

What could he use to identify a guy he doesn't even know. _"Hmm… well maybe I could find out exactly who they are…"_ He snaps his fingers, while curiosity begins to fill his body, "Hey Lisa, would you mind firing up that watch of yours? Maybe if I go back in time I'll be able to find them!"

Lisa smiles, "I see, very well then, I will make the preparations. Just come when I call you."

The young boy nods, "All right!" And with that, he turns away.

"Lincoln!" Rita Loud calls out, "I need you to help Lori clean up the memory-filled part of the attic!"

"Ok mom!" He responds, before running out of the young Loud's room and slamming the door shut… though he can swear that he hears a small *boom* as he does so. For a moment he considers running back inside, before Lisa reassures him with, "Don't worry! I'm still alive!"

" _Heh all right."_ And with that, he heads up to the dark and spooky room for the next loud child. Hey, they had to convert the utility closet for Lincoln; there aren't that many options for rooms!

The moment he steps onto the old attic floor, Lori greets him with, "Hey dork!" before motioning towards a pile of boxes, "Mind getting those? Those are boxes from like, six years ago."

" _Ugh, why?"_ He thinks, while walking over to the random pile and picking up a random box… only for the unsecured bottom to give in, much to his dismay. "Dang it!" he shouts, before digging through the annoyingly large pile with, "Who forgets to tape the bottom?! That's the only thing preventing a cheap cardboard box's bottom from opening up!"

To Lincoln, the pile was made up of mostly junk; a few pennies here and there, some string, an old bottle and some old homework assignments. Though he did find something of interest, some old clothes that his younger sisters could use, "Score!" He declares as he lifts them up, a pile of randomly assorted clothes, and throws them aside, effectively making a "junk that we're keeping" pile.

That's when he notices something in the leftover pile- a photo of a boy who looks just like him, with a younger Lori and another Latino boy, who Lincoln assumes to be Bobby. So rather than try to guess anything, and running to Lisa to figure it out, Lincoln turns to his older sister and asks, "Hey Lori, do you know who these people are?"

Lori turns with, "What is it twerp…" and upon seeing the photo she snatches the picture and says with an excited tone, "Wow, I can't believe I forgot I had this!"

Lincoln tilts his head in confusion as she continues, "I remember this photo!" Then she turns the frame to face her younger brother, before motioning towards the white-haired boy in the middle, "This kid was my first crush!"

That's when Lincoln notices her start to tear up, and she continues, "He was my first kiss and date too. But after the Sadie Hawkins dance, he just disappeared…" She sighs, "I loved him, but after that happened, Bobby came and danced with me."

" _Well that explains why it's so important to her."_ He tilts his head in curiosity, "But do you know why he looks just like me?"

The older girl scoffs, "He looks nothing like you!" Then she turns the picture on its back, "Though I could show you this song…"

He tilts his head in surprise and confusion, "A song?"

"Yeah, he taught me a song." She chuckles, "He wrote out the notes and just told me that a friend taught him it."

" _Well, I guess learning as much as I can about this guy will come in handy."_ He shrugs, "Could you teach me it?"

For a moment, Lori rubs her chin, seemingly debating whether to go back to work or take a break, "Sure twerp, it's not like we're being productive up here. After all, the nostalgia's getting to me."

And so a few minutes later, they drop the watch off at Lisa, who, surprise-surprise, immediately begins to analyze it. Then Lori takes Linc down and opens up the piano and begins to tap away.

"He called it 'The Calling Monody.'" She then holds down two keys for a short moment before playing a rather beautiful song. It was a short instrumental song that ends with her singing, "I remember the summer we spent in the hills. The hazy days are hard to remember. When we ran through the hills, with the whole world at our feet. With our Reason and rhyme, it was grand and glorious. Where we watched the season's change, our lives destined with adventure. There were mountains in our way, and yet we still overcame…"

"And now I hold onto your memory." She starts to tear up, and by the time she finishes, she can't stop crying. So Lincoln places a comforting hand on her shoulder and says, "There, there Lori. What's wrong?"

She responds, "Nothing, it's just nostalgia…" Then she rubs my white hair, "Now that I think of it, maybe you do resemble him more than I'd like to admit. Heh." Then she stands up, "Let's finish the cleaning later, I've got a nostalgia trip to go on."

And with that, she walks out of the living room and disappears into her own. He rubs his chin, _"Now that I think of it, it couldn't hurt to go meet him. What's the worst that can happen?!"_

"Lincoln, come up!" Lisa calls out.

"Heh and that's my cue." He chuckles, before rushing up stairs and into his little sister's room. There he finds his sister standing by the table with the small device from earlier in hand.

"Hello dear brother." She holds it out for him, "Here is my time travel watch." She takes a moment to hesitate, "I must make it clear, once you begin this, it will be difficult to reverse, are you sure that you want to go through with this test?"

"Yeah, why not." The boy shrugs, _"After all, from the sound of it, he broke Lori's heart, but did so much around here... I wanna see just who this… Gary Sue of a guy is!"_ Before he takes the device in hand and secures it to his arm, "All right, what's next?"

"Next is the beginning of the test." Lisa taps away at her console- her laptop computer resting on the Workbench, "Initializing!"

And with that, the device glows, before lightning flows through the watch, shocking the boy into unconsciousness.

 _ **A Few Moments Later...**_

Slowly, the shock wears off, allowing the boy to hold onto his now-aching head. " _Well that just happened…"_ He takes the moment to dust himself off and take a quick look around. The room's dark, with the blinds closed, and is decorated with plain green wallpaper. Heck it's just like Lily and Lisa's room back home! Save for the lack of a crib and technology that would cause a catastrophic meltdown for half the town and probably send earth into a nuclear winter

"Hey Lisa! Where are you?!" He shouts, but receives no answer, " _Well dangit, I guess Lisa sent me to another reality or something."_ With a sigh, he walks over to the door and opens it… only to reveal a blonde girl, just about his age standing shocked by his presence.

7-15-20-20-1 7-5-20 2-1-3-11. 2-1-3-11 20-15 20-8-5 6-21-20-21-18-5. 19-1-13-21-18-1-9 12-9-14-3-15-12-14!

 **A/N I hope you enjoyed! I thank Insane Master Writer Studio for helping me plan this and SunBlast-X for acting as my Beta reader for this fic!**

 **Anyways, NaNoWriMo works to encourage new people to become writers- after all, the prospect of having to write a full-length seems like a daunting task! And so, every year this organization holds an entire month dedicated to writing novels. The challenge is simple: You have 30 days to write a 50k novel (Meaning ~1667 words a day). Get to writing!**

 **For all of you who read fics, but are unsure of whether or not you can write a good story, I highly encourage you to at least try. No good writer started without making a few mistakes and getting to it. Also, for those who are reading this just for the sake of having fun, I encourage you to point out any and all flaws you find within this work, after all- no one gets better alone. I will admit, this story will be impulse-written (as is encouraged by one of the tips: "When in doubt, ninjas!") and it would help me immensely if you point out things that I don't notice so that I may improve upon them in the future! Thanks!**


	2. Welcome To The Old Royal Woods!

**A/N Hello everyone and welcome to day 2 of NaNoWriMo! I'm glad you guys are enjoying the fic so far! I hope I can keep providing a fun story to read! Also, the strings of numbers at the end of each chapter are cryptograms. (Just a little something I brought from my time writing from Gravity Falls)**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 2: Welcome To The Old Royal Woods!

For a moment, silence overtakes the two, with neither sure just how to respond to the other's presence.

 _"What the heck? Who is she?"_ He gulps, before awkwardly greeting, "Hi there…" He takes the moment to scan the area, unlike the genius sister's room he had been standing in, the room is now devoid of all devices that could cause pain and/or be used for experimenting. "Do you happen to know, where I am?"

The young girl stares in response, before she steels her gaze upon him and turns, "Dad! Help me! Someone's in my room!"

" _Wait, I recognize that voice!"_ The young boy's eyes go wide, _"That... that's Lori's voice! That means I'm still home!"_ He can't help, but use the moment to take in his sister's features. Just like what she has back in his time, she still has her pure, but messy, blonde hair as well as her slightly longer brown shorts. Though, rather than a light-blue tank top, she wears a light-blue t-shirt.

Immediately, the sound of thumping echoes through the home, before Lynn Sr.- sporting an extremely annoyed expression- rushes up to his daughter's side, "What are you doing here you creep?!"

Instinctually, Lincoln holds his hands up defensively, "D-dad! It's me! Your son!" Though he mentally kicks himself, " _Why the heck did I say that?! My dad isn't that aloof! He'd never believe that!"_

The man narrows his eyes at the boy, "My son is downstairs." He grabs for him, "Now tell me who you are or else I'm gonna call the cops!"

" _Dangit, this isn't good!"_ Lincoln quickly scans the room once more, desperate for a way out, _"Just my luck, this room hasn't changed in years, and I am not gonna jump out the window again!"_ He mentally shivers at the memory of the last time he had to run from Lisa by jumping out the window- lets just say it didn't end well for him and there was an embarrassing night at the hospital afterwards.

Before he knows it, he turns and bolts away from the man's grip, much to the latter's dismay, "Stay still! I'm gonna teach you a lesson about peepin' into my daughter's bedroom!" Then, the man grabs a nearby baseball bat and holds it up, ready to bash the young boy's head in.

" _Gotta run, I gotta run!"_ His mind repeats, before Lori hops in his way, "You're not gonna get away! I wanna know what you were doing in my room!"

" _Think fast Lincoln!"_ His mind shouts, while his heart races to compensate for the fear rushing through his veins. _"Who breaks into rooms, burglars? Thieves? Lovers?!"_ Suddenly, his eyes go wide in the realization, "I have a crush on your daughter and I wanted to see her!"

"What?" Lori loosens up ever so slightly.

" _I gotta play the part!"_ He quickly grabs hold of her and places a soft kiss upon the young girl's lips, causing both of them to go red from the act.

Lynn Sr. lowers his bat for a moment, before clutching it again, this time tighter than before. "Get out of my house you little pervert!" Then he rushes Lincoln once more.

Luckily, the boy is smart enough to use the distraction to push Lori aside and bolt out of her room. _"Gotta get out, can't get caught, I have to figure out how to get back!"_ He mentally steels himself, _"Lisa, when I get home I am gonna make sure you get grounded for the longest time possible!"_

He then jumps onto the railing and slides down into the newly painted living room. _"Almost there…"_

That's when he catches a glimpse of a few kids sitting at the couch with their mother in tow. The youngest is a slightly paler, blonde-haired girl who sitting at one end. Next to her is a young boy with blonde hair and a few brown curls mixed in clutching a small stuffed more girls sit next to him, one with blonde hair and the other two with brown hair. _"That's my family?!"_

"Oh my word! Get out!" Rita Loud shouts, before grabbing a nearby broom and holding it up to attack the boy.

" _You don't have to tell me twice!"_ He quickly thinks, before turning and jump out of the home… though he manages to trip on the stairs and into some newly made mud. Yet, not to be deterred, he simply rushes to his feet and continues onward, silently hoping that the angry parents would not follow.

" _First I gotta check to make sure I am where I think I am. I know I just ran out of my home, but that doesn't mean I can't be too careful!"_ He quickly scans the area around. Just like in his present no single building truly stands out- after all, most homes seem to look exactly alike; much to a newcomer's dismay.

He takes a sigh in defeat, before turning and bolting over to the next-door neighbor's home, _"Please still be here, please still be here…"_ And with that, he runs up the brick walkway and knocks on the door as hardly as he can. "Hey Mr. Grouse, are you there?"

A few moments of silence pass with that, before the sound of someone shuffling over echo through the door, followed by a certain old man opening up. "Hello there young'un, who are you?"

"Oh no one…" He responds, before turning and running away, _"So, I'm still in Royal woods. Good. That means I just need to find Lisa so she can fix this mess!"_ After that, he hurries through the residential area of town. No doubt if Lynn Sr. calls the cops within the next five minutes, he would be caught. Thankfully, the low crime rate means that the police wouldn't be patrolling as much in this area. And within moments, he finds himself in the middle of a nearly-deserted town square. The air seems cool despite the fact that jump mere moments prior, he was standing in the summer-time room of his younger sister.

" _Ok, I think I'm in the clear for now_ …" Lincoln takes the moment to recollect himself. After all, despite what many would claim from having tested Lisa's devices this actually is the first time she has sent someone somewhere random and they were immediately attacked, _"Why did I let curiosity get the best of me?!"_

Another moment passes with that, before he drops down on a nearby bench, _"Now that I'm in the clear for now… I have to figure out what to do…"_ The boy takes a deep breath, before looking down at his watch, _"Come on…"_ He begins to tap away, and yet, for some strange reason the device simply keeps the screen set to: "Connection interrupted. Time Loop Unstable" Frustration begins to fill his body, _"What the heck does this mean?! Lisa! Why didn't you tell me anything about this device before giving it to me!"_

He drops his arms at his sides, allowing the heat of the setting sun to overtake his body, _"Well… at least it'll still be summer when I get home… I hope. After all, Lisa will owe me a summer vacation if that isn't the case!"_

More thoughts begin to cross his mind with that, though most just have to deal with the absurdity of his situation- to think, his crazy four-year-old sister would design a device capable of going through time and allow him of all people to test it out! Why, it seems almost surreal to him.

" _But even the surreal has to end eventually."_ After that, he simply sits there for what seems like hours, simply waiting for Lisa to do something to come into contact with him- after all, if he isn't home in time for curfew, he and Lisa are definitely going to end up in major trouble. _"All right, I gotta make sure I remember the rules for time travel... what rules should I follow though? I'm in the past so maybe I should not interact with anything? But... what if I'm supposed to do that?"_ He grabs his head, while more thoughts begin to fill his mind, "Dangit!"

And with that, he simply sighs, "You know what, I should just wait for Lisa to call me... maybe then I'll be able to find my way home..."

Though, once the sun descends into its nighttime grave, it becomes apparent that Lisa would not be calling him any time soon. And so, with a sigh, he hops to his feet and continues onwards, _"Well… I guess it's safe to say that the person who looks like me should be around here somewhere."_ He takes a deep breath, _"So, let's go find them, then maybe I'll be able to find my way home with their help."_ His eyes go wide _, "Wait! What am I thinking?!"_ he mentally facepalms, _"Duh! I'm supposed to look for him! But first... I gotta make sure I know what I'm dealing with."_

Lincoln takes the next few moments to take in his surroundings- even moreso as he moves from the town square back to the suburbs. _"I should've checked to make sure that no one is watching me. Just because I'm in the past doesn't mean that stranger danger isn't a thing here!"_ Unlike the warm Royal Woods he had left, this version is ever so slightly colder- thankfully not enough to warrant his need for a sweater… though given the chill of the nighttime air, he can feel he would need one soon.

Unlike what he left, some of the stores he is familiar with- mainly the new frozen yogurt shop as well as the comic book store- are not even present. Though he breathes a sigh of relief at the fact that Flip's store is still around. _"At least I know where I can get a glass of expired milk…"_

And yet, much to his dismay, the one he had been told so much about just doesn't seem to be around.

For the next hour and half he continues on his way, silently hoping that he would run into someone he could recognize, though much to his dismay, he finds no one of interest. _I should've figured. If it's the time of year I think it is, there's porbably gonna be school in the morning and no one wants to be late for that."_

He continues onward with that, before parking himself at the bottom of an Oak tree in the middle of Royal Woods Park. At this point, the moon glows heavy over the town, signaling that all should rest for the night. _"So what am I gonna do now? I've gotta figure something out."_ He sighs in defeat, _"Maybe it'll be a good idea to go find somewhere to sleep and continue the search in the morning…"_ Suddenly, the boy's eyes go wide, _"Wait! I know! I just hope they're still together! A lot has happened in the last few years, and I don't think they'd be working like that… though if Clyde's memory is right…"_

With an idea in mind, he rushes to his feet and bolts through the town of Royal Woods, on his way to a certain home.

13-1-14 9-20 8-1-19-14-'20 5-22-5-14 2-5-5-14 20-5-14 13-9-14-21-20-5-19 1-14-4 8-5 8-1-19 1-12-18-5-1-4-25 11-9-19-19-5-4 12-15-18-9!

 **A/N Man, it's been so long since I've impulse written. Oh well, I suppose that comes with the territory. Anyways, I thank Sunblast-X for his help and Wolvenstrom for his suggestions! As always, tell me what you think and feel free to send ideas! While I have planned out the story, I'm still open to any ideas you guys may have!**

 **Also, for fans of Unwavering Bonds, I should have the next chapter out by next week. I'm putting it on a short hiatus because I want to give Finding A Loud the proper send off it deserves, while also keeping the schedule for this story.**

 **Also, since I typically respond to all of my reviewers, (But can't due to speed) I'll respond after the 2** **nd** **A/N.**

 **Review Responses (C1)**

 **Stall Wait: Understood, I'll work to smoothen things out over the remainder of the story**

 **Exotos135: No problem, I understand**

 **DreadedCandiru2: Heh, he just needs a Rick to his Morty.**

 **Bouken Dutch: Surprisingly enough, I didn't watch said movie until after I planned this out. Though, I'll admit, I see where you're coming from. As for the error, man, that sucks, but at least it's there! I'll check it out when I can!**

 **Dydr (Guest): You don't know how much I'm tempted to change my plans just to throw you off, now.**

 **loalincoln4: Answered in 1** **st** **A/N**

 **celrock and MasterCaster: Thanks! I hope I can provide an interesting story!**

 **7lights13darkness: Thanks for the enoucragement! Also, UB's status is answered in the 2** **nd** **A/N.**

 **Finnjr63: Understood, I'll make sure to pay more attention to the story's pacing from now on, thanks!**


	3. Searching For A Home

**A/N Ahh, welcome to day 3! Man, these chapters are hard to write because speed!**

 **R &R**

Chapter 3: Searching For A Home

" _I hope that they're around…"_ Lincoln looks up the ever-rising moon, its milky rays bathing his body in pure white light. He mentally sighs, _"It's a shame I can't stay in my own home, but at least I know one couple that can keep me safe while I look for that guy... and wait for Lisa to call..."_

With that, he turns onto a familiar street, allowing a home he knows all too well to come into view, _"There it is, the McBride residence…"_ he rubs his chin, _"Now that I think of it, I don't think they'd be married… right? I mean I don't think that Michigan let their couples be legal until… I dunno actually, my teacher never mentioned it…"_ He shakes his head once more, before running over and turning onto the front porch.

" _This is a horrible idea."_ Lincoln takes another deep breath, before knocking at the door, "Hello, is anyone there?"

A moment of silence passes after that, before the soft sounds of shuffling follow.

" _Please be here, please be here…"_ The boy's heart begins to pound in fear. What if they wouldn't accept them?! What if the person they had already staying with them didn't want him around? What if Lisa isn't able to bring him home?!"

And yet, before his panicking mind can continue its downward spiral, the door's locks go, *Click* before opening up, revealing two young men- one light skinned with orange hair and the other dark-skinned with black hair.

*Yawn* "Why hello there young man." The light-skinned man goes, "Do you not know what time night it is?!" Frustration seems to fill the man's body.

" _Gotta think fast Lincoln, gotta think fast!"_ Lincoln takes a deep breath, "I'm sorry to disturb you…" He holds onto his own arm, as if trying to exude nervousness, "But… my family disowned me for being different than my sisters and well… I'm looking for some money so I find get a place to sleep…"

For a moment, the two men turn to each other, seemingly silently trying to communicate their thoughts.

"Now Howie…" The taller man sighs.

"Young man, how… 'different' are you to your sisters?" The shorter man asks, extending his arm out to greet him as he does so.

" _Well… if I tell him the truth, I'll be lying and if I don't, I'll still be lying!"_ He looks away, "I'm sorry… but… I'd rather not say…"

The two men look at each other again.

"Fine…" The light-skinned man sighs, "We can give him the guest room for the night."

Suddenly, Lincoln's eyes go wide in shock, "Really?!" While he thinks, _"Huh, I guess they don't have another guest here after all!"_

"But we'll see about finding a place for you in the morning."The dark-skinned man makes clear, before letting out a deep breath, "We both know how it's like to be rejected by our families and being forced to live on the street."

Lincoln fights the urge to hug the duo, _"I gotta remember that they don't know me here, I gotta make sure that they don't get suspicious or anything. Plus, it doesn't help that I don't wanna mess with the timeline!"_ He smiles, "Thank you so much!"

The light-skinned man then extends his hand to the boy, "I'm Howard." While his partner extends his hand as well, "And I'm Harold."

"I'm…" He pauses for a moment, _"Should I tell them my real name? No, that's a horrible idea! I don't need anyone from the past realizing who I am!"_ And so he finishes, "Michael, I'm Michael."

The two men look on in suspicion for a moment, before turning around, "All right… Michael, would you like to join us dinner? We were just about to eat some chicken."

For a moment, Lincoln considers the idea, though instead choosing to hold his arms up defensively, "I don't want to impose… I'm just glad you're letting me stay the night…"

The two men look at each other in understanding and nod, before Harold continues, "Don't worry, it's really no bother. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible…" He looks at the other man, "Given what we've been though, I we wanna make sure you feel well enough to find somewhere..."

Lincoln smiles, "Thank you…" Before he grabs a plate and scoops up some of the food, "Though, would you mind if I ate in... the guest room?" He rubs the back of his head, "I'm..." his voice trails off.

"Don't worry, feel free." The dark skinned man places a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you, thank you so much." Lincoln gives the duo a sincere smile, "I promise I'll find a way to pay you back!"

"There's no need." The light-skinned man declares, before turning around, "Come along now, it's getting late!"

After that, the young men showed him the room he would be allowed to sleep in for the night, before motioning for him to enter.

"Thank you." He smiles, before stepping inside.

"Goodnight, Michael." Howard goes, before closing the door behind him, giving him the privacy he desperately needs, _"Well then, that happened."_ He sighs, before dropping on the bed. _"All right, now that I've got a decent place to stay the night, I've gotta figure out how to find that guy and get home…"_ he fights an annoying feeling creeping up, _"What if I'm that guy? Nah, I can't be!"_

"Hey Lincoln…." A soft voice cuts through his nervous thoughts.

Suddenly, the boy's eyes go wide in chock, "Lisa?!"

"Down here, I'm in your watch." The young girl declares, prompting the young boy to raise his arm, revealing the device-its panels now parted ways, revealing a small screen, "Uhh… Lisa, what's going on?"

"I am currently working on fixing the issues..." She taps away at her console, causing the screen to retract, causing a small projector to appear, which projects an image of the young girl in front of him, all right, the mini-projector works, "This will make things easier."

"Uhh Lisa… you seem a bit... more nervous than usual." Lincoln tilts his head in confusion.

The young girl sighs, "It seems I am forced to explain some things that they should have taught you in school." And for the next moment, the young scientist continues to go on about random topics, seemingly working to test out functions of the device she had given him… only to realize that she is stammering while Lincoln is just watching her in confusion. She face palms, "That went over your head, did it not?

"Ok, well Lisa, from the looks of it, I don't have a clue where that guy is and so far I've been attacked by our dad." Lincoln takes a deep breath, "I think we're going to have to try this experiment again later, ok?" He then follows it up by awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.

"Umm… slight problem with that brother." The young girl taps her fingers together nervously, "I, umm… can't bring you back, just yet."

Suddenly, Lincoln's eyes go wide in shock, "What do you mean?!"

Lisa sighs, "So… I was going through the device's functions and well… I'm having issues bringing you back."

"Why?!" Lincoln flares his arms in frustration.

"I don't know. Something seems to be interfereing with my console access. I've been implementing all of the commands I could, but no matter what I do, that wathc is not responding to any reset orders!"

" _So… I'm stranded here until she can get this thing to work again?"_ Lincoln's mind rushes in fear, _"Where will I stay? What will I do? I can't stay here forever!"_

"Thankfully, the console is not locked out of all commands, so I am still able to communicate to you with it." The young girl takes a deep breath, "But, until I am able to figure out the error that prevents me from bringing you home, you're stranded in the past." She taps away, "Six years ago to be exact."

The boy can feel his heart sink, _"Dangit…"_

"But…" She adjusts her glasses, "I need you to look around a bit for me."

Lincoln looks back at his little sister in curiosity, "Oh? What do you mean?"

"I've taken the liberty of asking our sisters about things that happened when they met that young man whom you are looking for however. I assume that you and he are connected in some way, shape or form. So, while I work here, why don't you continue your search for them? I am sure that you will be able to get home as soon as you find them!"

" _She must think that that person is locking us out or something..."_ Lincoln sighs, "All right then, Lisa, it looks like I've got no choice in this, huh?"

"If you ever want to come home, then no." The scientist flatly answers.

With that, Lincoln sighs, before looking up, "All right then, what do I need to do?"

"According to Lori, she met the boy at school." Lisa then returns to the console, "I need you to go to school tomorrow and find Lori. If anyone has an idea of his whereabouts, it should be her."

"All right then." The boy sighs in defeat, "Sometimes I feel like my life's just one big video game."

"I beg to differ..." She rubs her chin.

"Oh?" Lincoln raises an eyebrow, "Why do you say that?"

"I feel like our situation seems to be more akin to fanfiction of Quantum Leap or Back To The Future."

Lincoln proceeds to stare at his sister in confusion.

Lisa raises her hands defensively, "What? Just because I'm a scientist doesn't mean I don't take the time to educate myself on what people are imagining should exist, and then attempting to make them real myself!"

" _You know what… this isn't worth it. I'm stuck in a different time and I need to go find my sister."_ He sighs in defeat once more, "All right then Lisa, I guess I'll go find Lori tomorrow… Goodnight."

"Goodnight as well Lincoln. I will go and do my best to find out anything else I can. Hopefully, I will be able to guide your next actions… or at the very least bring you home before anyone notices your absence."

And with that, the projector shuts off, allowing Lincoln to drop his arms limply at his sides, "Dangit Lisa… please hurry…" he then lies back, into the rather comfortable pillow and closes his eyes- sleeping the night away as he does so.

15-15-15 13-1-25-2-5 8-5 9-19 7-15-9-14-7 20-15 8-1-22-5 19-15-13-5 6-21-14 20-9-13-5-19 23-9-20-8 3-12-25-4-5 13-3-2-18-9-4-5!

 **A/N As always, I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to call me out on any mistakes I made!**

 **Review Responses:**

 **DreadedCandiru2: 1) Yeah, or else they'll probably get cloned! 2-3) I'd post a picture of an Axolotl right now if I could because, spoiler territory!**

 **Bridgette (Guest C1): They've got 11 kids mate! I don't think they've got that much money!**

 **BoukenDutch: I doubt he'll find out the dangers of time travel until he finds himself and starts trying to work with him!**

 **364wii: 6 years in the bank isn't enough lol. Though the lottery…**

 **celrock: Well, it's been implied that his hair hasn't always been white… though I will explain that when it comes up.**

 **Guest (C1): I dunno… Why are you asking this hard question?!**

 **TheLivingMyth: Well hey, at least if people start writing fics based on this one, we won't see another NSL/BITF fic!**

 **Finnjr63 and gamerlover41592: Thanks for the support!**


	4. Meeting A Boy

**A/N Welcome to day 4! I hope you enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 4: Meeting A Boy

For the next few moments, Lincoln remains silent, desperate to force his body to enter the slumber he had so grown accustomed to not having over the years. After all, a quiet night in his home, well the mere idea is unheard of!

And yet, rather then simply drift off, he finds himself tossing and turning in his bed, trying to get comfortable despite the rather nice pad he had been given, _"Dangit… why can't I sleep?!"_ He lies on his back, before outstretching his arms in defeat, _"Just calm down Lincoln, you're going to get home, you're going to get home…"_

His mind begins to slow down, though he still finds himself unable to fall asleep, _"You know what… why don't I just count sheep? Mom always said to do that, right?"_ He focuses for a moment, allowing his imagination to create the image of several sheep with numbers on their sides, running towards a fence. _"Just count them… just count them."_

The first one jumps, _"One…"_ Followed by another, _"Two…"_ And a third, _"Three…"_ Soon enough he's simply counting- a task he finds rather calmly, _"Forty-two…"_ Slowly, the sheep begin to morph with that, "Fifty-five…"And by the time he reaches the next decade, they've taken a new form- one with blonde hair and a light-blue shirt, _"Sixty-three… Lori…"_

His eyes immediately open up, "No…" he sits up and shakes his head, "That was just a kiss, that was just to distract them…" He pulls the sheets over his body, _"But then… why can't I stop thinking of it…"_ He sighs, before closing his eyes once more, and continuing the count… only for the image of his sister to take the sheep's place once more. _"If I don't count Lori's I'm not gonna get any sleep, am I?"_

"Not at all twerp." Her loving voice echoes through his mind.

He shoves a pillow on his face, _"What's going on with me?!"_ Before he releases and sighs. "You're not gonna get over this that easily…"

" _Well then I guess I'll just have to count Lori's… at the rate I'm going I'm gonna be as bad as Clyde… I wonder where he is…"_ And with that, the young woman begins to run towards the fence, jumping over it as they do so. _"Seventy-Nine…"_

 _ **The Next Morning…**_

Soft sunlight filters through the guest room's window, while the soft autumn breezes blow into the room, filling it with a soft, cool air… as well as stirring a certain young boy from his slumber.

"Ugh…" He groans, before slowly opening eyes… only to close them as soon as the star's rays fall upon them. _"Morning already?"_ He grabs a pillow and shoves it over his head, doing his best to cover them from the attacks.

"Lincoln! Stop dilly-dallying and get your posterior up!" Lisa's voice echoes through the pillow.

"What the…" The boy slowly pulls his head from the cover, only to find the hologram Lisa sitting at her console, simply continuing to tap away.

"Lincoln, have you forgotten? You need to go find Lori! She should be in school if the console's reported date of transfer is correct!"

Suddenly, Lincoln's heart begins to rush; _"I'm going to see Lori today?"_ He shakes his head and forces himself to his feet, _"No. Bad Lincoln! At the rate you're going you're gonna end up like Clyde!"_ He then looks at his sister, "All right Lisa, I'll head over. See if you can find out anything else."

"Will do." Lisa yawns, before slumping over at her desk- cutting the transmission off. No doubt she had stayed up all night trying to find him a way home.

Lincoln then takes a deep breath, _"All right, let's go."_ And with that, he steps out of the room and heads down to the McBride kitchen- where he finds the three McBrides simply cooking away.

"Good morning, Michael." Howard greets, before flipping a set of bacon, "Harold and I were just about to make a some bacon and eggs for us, would you like some?"

Now, for a moment, the young boy hesitates- after all, he didn't like the idea of taking advantage of the two men's kindness. And yet, his empty stomach's growling acts as the only encouragement he needs, "Yeah… I'd like some, if you don't mind of course.

"We don't mind at all." Harold responds with a smile, "Though, would you mind telling us why your parents saw it fit to kick you out?"

" _Don't lie, it'll only make things harder."_ Lincoln grabs his arm, "It's… I'd rather not talk about it."

The two men look at each other, before simply shaking their head. No doubt they already know how hard it would be to come out like that.

"Haha!" A little voice shouts, breaking through the soft silence that had overtook the kitchen.

"What the-" Lincoln looks around for a second, before a young boy runs up and tackles him, forcing him to the floor.

"Are you my brother?!" The young boy asks. He has dark skin and curly black hair, while he wears a yellow shirt with blue stripes.

" _Clyde?!"_ his eyes go wide in shock, "Uhh, hi there. I didn't see you last night."

"That's because he was asleep." Harold declares, while the boy jumps around in excitement.

"Clyde!" Howard puts his hands on his hips, "Get off that young man this instant!"

"I don't mind." Lincoln chuckles, "He's quite the handful, huh?" he then carefully lifts the five-year-old up, before placing him in the highchair next to the table. He tickles his chin, causing the young boy to laugh.

The light-skinned man then smiles, "Good with kids, huh?"

" _You can say that."_ The white-haired boy sighs, "Yeah, before I left, I had to take care of my siblings…" He rubs his head, before taking a seat at the table as well, "Anyways, I can't thank you enough for letting me stay the night."

"It was no issue." The dark-skinned man declares, "Where will you be heading now?"

"Well… to school." The boy shrugs, "After that, well, I guess I'll have to go find another place to sleep…"

For a moment, silence overtakes the kitchen, with the two men looking at each other once more, seemingly debating a certain question.

And so, the duo sighs, before the light-skinned man shakes his head, "All right… We're going to look for someplace to give you, ok? But if we can't then… we wouldn't mind letting you stay a few days, all right?"

Lincoln smiles, "Really? Thank you, I can't thank you enough!"

"It's no problem." Harold hugs Clyde, "Our son has been really lonely… maybe you could spend some time with him… He doesn't really know how to… talk to others that much."

"Sure, it's the least I can do." The boy replies, before Howard places a plate of breakfast in front of him, which he wastes no time consuming, before he rushes to his feet, "Thanks!" Before he rushes out the door, _"Now, let's go find Lori…"_

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

Soon enough, Lincoln finds himself walking through the halls of a place he had sworn that he would not have to walk through for another two months, _"Heh… from the looks of it, this place hasn't changed that much in the last six years."_ He can't help, but chuckle at the sight.

From what he notices, the lockers are the same- even to the point that he swears if he knew the combination he would be able to open them up, _"But that wouldn't be nice, now would it."_ He sighs, _"Plus I've got to find Lori first…"_

Eventually, he turns down another corridor, _"If I remember correctly, this is where the fifth grade lockers are."_ Slowly, he scans the area, random students walk around, simply talking while none pay attention to the white-haired boy, thankfully.

"So, like this boy…" A certain voice cuts through the between-periods chaos.

Lincoln's eyes go wide, _"Lori!"_ He looks around, allowing his gaze to fall upon a certain blonde-haired girl talking to her two friends- one of which casts an inexplicable resemblance to her. His heart starts to race, _"Just gotta play it cool Lincoln and everything's gonna be all right."_ He takes a deep breath, before stepping over to the trio and greeting, "Hi there."

Suddenly, the three girls turn to face him.

"Who are you?" one of them asks.

"I'm-" The boy tries to respond, only for Lori to send her fist into his gut.

"He's the person who broke into my room yesterday!" Her voice fills with annoyance, "And then he kissed me so he could run away from my dad!"

"Like, eww." Lori's other friend- Brittney- puts her hands on her hips and shakes her head, "You like, are a total creep. Why'd you break into Lori's room like that?"

" _Yeah… I should've expected something like this…"_ The boy clutches his aching abdomen in pain, _"Why the heck did I not think this through? Great, now I have to think fast again!"_ He groans, "I- I did it because I… uhh… wanted to see you."

Suddenly, Lori's cheeks heat up, the girl seemingly embarrassed by the sudden turn of events, _"You mean he didn't just come to stalk me or something…"_ She quickly shakes her head, before reeling her hand back and slapping the boy, "That's for breaking into my home! I never wanna see you around me again!"

And with that, Lincoln can only watch as the young girl and her two friends walk away, _"Well dangit… I just got punched by my older sister… who doesn't know I'm her little brother… and worst of all, the guy I'm looking for isn't even around!"_

He takes a moment to allow the pain to fade, before taking a deep breath in defeat, "Well that could've gone better…"

"Wow… that was awesome…" An unfamiliar voice calls out, "You got Lori to notice you…"

Slowly, Lincoln turns to face the source- a young, Latino boy wearing a white shirt, blue jeans and a green, plaid button-down.

"Uhh, hi there?" He looks on in confusion.

"Hey…" The boy rubs the back of his head, "I'm Bobby…"

" _Bobby?!"_ Lincoln takes a moment to look the young boy up and down. Unlike the calm, cool and collected- albeit absent minded and slightly immature person he is used to seeing back in his own time, this boy seems awkward and introverted. "You saw, huh?"

He nods, "Yeah… you're lucky, Lori never likes talking to boy like me…"

Lincoln awkwardly rubs the back of his head, "Well… I did, kinda leave an impression on her…" while he thinks, _"Yeah, breaking into her room!"_

"That must be nice…" His voice trails off meekly.

" _Not really… she doesn't even wanna talk to me, let alone help me find who I'm looking for…"_ He shrugs, "I guess…"

"Would you mind teaching me how to get her attention?" He whispers, rubbing the back of his head as he does so, "I wanna go out with her but…"

For a moment, Lincoln considers the scenario. Bobby- the young man that had dated his sister for over a year in his time- stands in front of him asking for help getting Lori's attention. The white-haired boy hesitates, _"I can't mess with time… but…"_ He looks into the young boy's weak eyes, _"I think he needs help… and Lisa never told me I couldn't push things along, right?"_

And so he shrugs, "Sure, how about we go to your place after school?"

Bobby's eyes go wide, "Really?!"

Lincoln nods in response, "Yeah."

"Thanks!" The Latino boy hugs the white-haired one for a quick moment, before turning and running, "I gotta go to class now! See ya!" And with that, he rushes down a nearby hallway, leaving Lincoln alone to think.

" _What did I just get myself into?"_

23-5-12-12 1-20 12-5-1-19-20 8-5 8-1-19 8-9-19 6-18-9-5-14-4 3-12-25-4-5! 19-15 23-8-1-20 9-6 8-5 4-15-5-19-14 20 11-14-15-23 8-9-13?!

 **A/N I don't know Lincoln, I don't know what you've just got yourself into. I hope you enjoyed the chapter guys!**

 **Review Responses (C3):**

 **DreadedCandiru: This chapter answers that!**

 **MasterCaster: Huh I didn't know**

 **364wii: Those are the same thing… she should be pregnant with them.**

 **BoukenDutch: They did, he was just asleep at the time.**

 **gamelover41592 and Finnjr63: Thanks for the support!**

 **celrock: Yep! While he's able to hide for now, there's still plenty that he has to deal with!**


	5. A Friendly Visit

**A/N Man, I'm now learning why I take so long to write chapters. Oh well, 1/6** **th** **the way through NaNoWriMo! I hope you guys enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 5: A Friendly Visit

Soon enough, the end of the school days comes- and with it comes the beginning of the time that all students hold dear: the afterschool.

" _Man, I'm glad no one caught me staying in the lunch room all day…"_ Lincoln mentally sighs, before looking at his new companion: Bobby. _"But… I ended up running into Bobby of all people, and from the looks of it he and Lori haven't gotten together yet…"_

"You ok?" The Latino boy looks on in concern, "you've been awfully quiet ever since we left school..." He hesitates for a moment, before awkwardly rubbing the back of his head, "You never told me your name."

"Oh right." Lincoln chuckles, "Just call me Michael, ok?" He takes the next moment to look around, "So uhh… where's your place?"

The young boy simply steps forward and motions at a small home, "Over here, Michael." Before he heads up the path and over to the front door.

And wordlessly, Lincoln follows.

"Just a heads up, my mom's out working righting now so… yeah, we're gonna be home alone for a while… do you mind?" Bobby shoves his key in the front door and pauses for a moment, turning to his companion as he does so.

"Don't worry, given where I've come from, well, some peace and quiet is all I need." Lincoln chuckles, before prodding Bobby to open his door, which he does.

"All right." He steps inside- dropping his backpack by the couch as he does so, "Welcome to my humble abode."

"Nice place you've got here." The white-haired boy chuckles, _"It's less messy than my home, that's for sure…"_

"Thanks." Bobby sighs, "Sorry if it gets a bit too quiet… things aren't really that interesting where I come from."

" _That's… surprising…"_ Lincoln hesitates for a moment, _"I wonder… where's Ronnie Anne? She should be around here, Right?"_ He drops down on the couch and rubs his chin, "Huh, I don't mind." He glances around the home. The place is similar to his own- though the pain is much more bland and there is a distinct lack of family photos hanging around. "Do you… uhh, have any siblings?"

A soft hush overtakes the Latino boy for a moment, before he simply nods, "Yeah… I have a little sister…"

"Where is she?" The boy raises an eyebrow, though given Bobby's hesitation it doesn't bode too well.

"I… I'd rather not talk about it." The boy sighs, "Just… how about we talk about, you know, how you got Lori to notice you."

" _Something's off with him…"_ The white-haired boy thinks, before shrugging, "To be honest… I did, kinda, break into her house so I could see her…" he rubs the back of his head, "And then I kissed her…"

Now, shocked is an understatement compared to what Bobby felt, "You broke into her home?!"

"Well… broke in is… actually what she thinks…." He rubs the back of his head, "To be exact… I accidently crashed into it and well… she caught me."

Bobby crosses his arms, "Care to explain, Michael?"

" _Great, first you lie about your name, then you get a stupid crush on your older sister and now look at you! You're lying to Bobby just because if you told him the truth, he'd think you're crazy!"_ The young boy sighs, "Well… one of my sisters asked me to test a teleportation device for her… she's a crazed scientist and stuff…" He shakes his head, "And well… when I tested it out, I got sent into her room."

"Uh-huh, and you really expect me to believe that?" The Latino boy just stares, seemingly unsure if whether or not to believe his new companion's story, despite just how crazy it sounds.

'Michael' just shakes his head, "I'll be honest, if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't believe it either." He leans back into the couch, "But hey, it's the truth, and you know what they say, sometimes the truth is hard to believe."

"Oh…" Bobby looks away, " Ok… I just uhh… thought you did something else, you know, to get her attention…"

And with that said, silence overtakes the duo, with neither sure of just how to continue their conversation… that is, until Lincoln sighs, "So… you said you have a little sister… would you mind telling me about her?"

Unlike before, Bobby just shakes his head, "I'd rather not…" he chooses not to look his new companion in his eyes, "I don't really know much about her…"

Lincoln raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "Oh? Why's that?"

"Because… I don't wanna talk about it, ok?" He shakes his head, "Please, just ask something else."

Without a single thought, Lincoln turns and asks, "All right… why do you like Lori?"

For the next moment, Bobby remains silent, calmly taking the chance to think about his answer… while Lincoln mentally kicks himself, _"Dangit, why'd I ask that? He like Lori because… because she's… the nicest girl I know… dangit she flippin' slapped you! Why am I thinking like this?!"_

"I dunno really…" He rubs the back of his head, "I just… well… I do…"

"Hmm, well, do you have any other friends? I'm sure we-" Lincoln tries to start, only for the young boy to shake his head, "No… I don't really have friends, you know…"

" _So… Bobby didn't have any friends before, huh? Now I'm starting to wonder how…"_ His heart begins to race, _"Wait… the strange boy Lori was talking about before… could it have…"_ He waves the idea off, _"Nah, it can't be!"_ he then raises an eyebrow.

Yet, Bobby doesn't notice his companion's thoughts, choosing instead to continue, "So… when I first met Lori, she well… umm… was nice enough to…" His voice trails off, with him unsure of just how to explain what had happened.

Lincoln places a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Bobby, don't worry, just take a deep breath and tell me what happened. That way, I'm sure I'll be able to help you out, ok?"

Bobby nods, "All right, all right." He sighs, "About a year ago…"

* * *

A younger Bobby sits at a table clutching a photo of him holding a young girl wrapped in a purple blanket. Soft tears flowing down his cheeks as he does so, "Oh nie nie…"

"Hey, is this seat taken?" A soft voice asks, causing the young boy to look up. In his midst stands a young girl, her soft blonde hair flowing in the afternoon sun… though Bobby doesn't really care much.

"No…" He shakes his head, before returning his focus to the small photo resting in his hands.

In the next moment, the young girl takes a seat across from him and pulls out her lunch. For a few minutes, the duo simply sits there in silence… something that the young girl was not used to. She gets antsy, while her thoughts begin to light up with random ideas on just what to do. And so, to break the silence she asks, "Hey… are you ok?"

"Yeah…" The boy answers, "Just thinking is all… I'll be fine."

The girl continues to look at the boy, her interest beginning to peak, "So uhh… hey, what are you looking at?"

Quickly, Bobby folds the picture carefully, before shoving it in his shirt's pocket, "It's nothing, really…"

Now, Bobby doesn't know what the young girl sitting across from him is thinking in that moment, and yet, it is as if she can tell that something important is going on. "I know that something's up." She crosses her arms, "I've got six siblings."

Bobby raises an eyebrow in confusion, "What's that got to do with anything?"

Slowly, the young girl moves her hand over to him, holding his in hers, while making sure to l0ok into his eyes, "It means that I can tell that something's on your mind." She lets go and leans back, "Come on, I won't tell, I promise."

And in the next moment, the boy doesn't know what prods him, but he simply begins to talk about his life at home as well as the young girl whom he had been thinking about mere moments prior.

And when he is finally finished, he simply looks at her with a begging gaze, "Thanks for listening… My mom's not home all the time and when she is… well…"

The young girl places her hand on his to silence him, "Don't worry about it, I completely understand." She then looks into his eyes, giving him and soft, understanding gaze as she does so.

"Y-you do?" Bobby goes with an air of disbelief.

"Yeah." She then holds his hand and smiles, "Just keep your head up, that's what I always say to my sisters when they feel lost or afraid." She then leans forward and gives him a soft hug, "I'm Lori, by the way."

"I-I'm Bobby…" The boy answers, his face now going red, before he returns the gesture with a soft smile."

* * *

"And that was the moment I started to like her…" His voice trails off, "Sorry if it's not… that good…"

Lincoln sits by for a moment, a soft smile beginning to form, _"Lori… being nice like that… well that's hard to believe…"_ He rubs his chin, _"Though… now that I think of it… she is nice enough to play video games with me when she's not busy… and she does help make sure that we all stay in line when she's in charge… even though she does become the queen of no…"_ His face begins to go red, _"She's amazing…"_

"So… what do you think?" bobby asks, breaking his companion from his confusion.

"Huh? Oh…" Lincoln takes a deep breath, "Well, I'll be honest, I understand." He looks into his eyes and takes a deep breath.

"Will you help a guy out?" He rubs the back of his head, "I wanna ask her out, but I don't know how to… I'm just… too awkward about it all I guess…"

Now, a part of Lincoln urges him to say "no", to deny Bobby of the help that he seems to sorely need. And yet, he thinks, _"Lori will kill me if she doesn't have Bobby in the future, right? No… it can't be. I should… grr…"_ He mentally slaps himself back to reality, before simply taking a deep breath and smiling, "Sure bro, I'll help you out."

The boy's eyes go wide in shock, "Really?! You'll help me?!"

Lincoln nods, "Yeah, just… first let's take a load off ya know…" He looks around for a moment, "Got any games to play around here? It'll make it easier to… you know, help you out and stuff… I think?"

Bobby shrugs, before hopping to his feet, "Sure, come up to my room ok?"

And with that, he walks over to the stairs and motions for the boy to follow, which he does.

" _Just stay calm Lincoln, this is how things are supposed to be. You're gonna go help Bobby woo your big sister… when she's the same age as you. Nothing too major, right?"_ He sighs, "Bobby."

"Yeah?" The Latino boy looks at his guest in concern, "What's up?"

"I'll help you learn how to get Lori tomorrow, ok?" He rubs the back of his head, "You know, so we have people to practice with, ok?"

Bobby considers the idea for a moment- after all, it is hard to learn how to ask someone out when the only person you've got to practice with is a boy your age. And so, with a shrug he answers, "Sure, thanks so much, Michael."

"No problem, Bobby." The boy smiles, _"I don't like Lori. Lori is my sister… I don't like her like that…"_

And yet, despite these thoughts, he still feels himself start to heat up at the very thought of her name, _"This isn't gonna end so well… I just hope that Lisa's gonna find a way to get me home… Before I admit that I kissed a girl close to me… and I liked it."_

14-5-24-20 21-16: 12-9-14-3-15-12-14-'19 7-21-9-4-5 20-15 4-1-20-9-14-7

 **A/N Man my head hurts so much and I don't know why. I hope you guys enjoyed!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **DreadedCandiru2: I don't know who Janeway is, but I will say that he's gonna have a tough time getting things together when his sister doesn't want him around!**

 **364wii: Yes, though given that Lori hasn't… maybe she's implying something!**

 **Finnjr63: Thanks! That's why you don't time travel like this!**

 **gamerlover41592: Thanks, and no worries, there's a bit of both in my plans.**

 **Celrock: Thanks! He has a long way to go!**


	6. Lincoln's Guide To Dating

**A/N Ahh, day 6! I'm starting to get used to the idea of impulse writing. Though, that doesn't mean I'm gonna do this for all my stories. Also, time for the hardest 5 chapters for me to write! Why? Simple! I've got 4 tests this week!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 6: Lincoln's Guide To Dating

"What are you doing, Lincoln?!" Lisa flares her arms in frustration, "You're supposed to be finding that weird boy you were looking for! You know, the whole reason you went back in time in the first place!"

Lincoln glances around for a moment, making sure that the coast is clear enough for him to continue, "Don't worry Lisa, I'm working on that."

"By what? Helping a young Bobby get Lori?!" The young scientist facepalms at the absurdity of the situation. Mere moments prior Lincoln had told her that his search would have to be put on hold just so he could help the young boy.

"Yes actually." Lincoln holds his hand to the watch, making sure that no one would be able to hear their conversation, "Remember, Lori said she met the boy before she started going out with Bobby, right? So that means that if I stay around her enough then I'm sure I'm gonna run into him sooner or later, right?"

Lisa sighs in defeat, "Once again brother, your logic is rational, but your execution of such is not." She returns to her console, "I forgot to warn you, you must be extremely careful what you do in the past…"

The boy raises an eyebrow, "Uhh… why? Doesn't it mean that no matter what I do, I'm gonna cause a paradox or something?"

"I don't know." Lisa shakes her head, "In order to give you an ample base of warnings to work from, I have binge-watched several time-travel movies and each gives an interesting insight into your situation."

"Ok?" Lincoln tilts his head in confusion, "What are you talking about Lisa?"

The four-year-old simply facepalms, "Just do me a favor and do not do anything that can cause us to get erased from history, ok?"

" _You don't have to tell me twice."_ The boy nods, "All right Lisa, do you need me to do anything else?"

"Yes." The scientist begins to type away at her console, "I need you to acquire some parts for me. Royal Woods Mall should have them, despite just how complicated they may be. If you are unable to get a part, then tell me, I will have to modify it in order to work."

" _Anything to get home."_ He nods, "All right, send away… this watch should be able to receive messages right?"

"Yes." She answers, "I had to sue a normal smart watch as they base for it you know? It saves time and money, two things that out family needs direly."

"All right then." Lincoln hen puts the watch arm down, "I gotta go, see ya Lisa!"

And with that, the white-haired boy ends the call. And just in time too, because as soon as he finishes, he looks up, allowing him to come face-to-face with a certain Latino boy. "Hey Bobby."

"Hey Michael." The boy answers, "Are you ready for the date practice thing you suggested?"

He nods, "Yeah, we just need to find a clear place around to start, after all, it'll be awkward ya know."

Immediately, the two boys scan their surroundings. Despite the school day, Royal Woods Park is still filled with people enjoying the unusually warm October weather. Luckily for them however, there is an open area- perfect for two friends to practice whatever they desire.

"All right." The white-haired boy takes a deep breath, "You ready for this Bobby?"

"Yep, lead the way, Michael." The Latino boy cheerfully raises his arm, seemingly ready for any challenge his companion can throw his way.

He takes a deep breath, "First I need to know exactly what I'm working with, ok?"

Bobby nods, "Ok… what does that mean?"

"It means I need you to show me what you'd do if you were really asking Lori out, ok?" He places a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I… I don't know…" bobby meekly taps his fingers together, unable to look his companion in the eyes as he does so, "I never thought I'd actually ask her out, you know…"

Lincoln calmly moves Bobby's head to face him, "Come on, you can do it!" He then moves his hand and take a step back, "You ready for this?"

A moment of silence passes, with the Latino boy taking the chance to regret ever agreeing to the idea, before he takes a deep breath and looks up at his companion once more, "Ok Michael… I'm ready."

"All right then!" He crosses his arms, "Now, imagine I'm Lori, ok?"

"Ok." The boy answers, doing his best to steel his nerves as he does so.

"I need you to just ask me out. Introduce yourself to me, give me a compliment and then ask." Lincoln continues, thinking, _"Heh, all that time I've asked for girl advice from… Lori… has finally paid off."_ He can't help, but chuckle. Every time he had trouble sleeping, her rants out what girls liked would always put him to bed.

Bobby takes a deep breath, closing his eyes as he does so. _"Just gotta stay calm."_ He opens his eyes, taking the moment to imagine the white-haired boy as the girl of his dreams, "H-hi Lori."

Lincoln raises an eyebrow, "Hey."

"Y-you're lookin' pretty… beautiful today." He stammers and looks away.

"Thanks." Lincoln smiles, doing his best to suppress the small laugh that begins to build in his body, "What's your name?"

"B-Bobby." He continues, now beginning to tap his fingers together nervously once more, "I… uhh… was wondering if you… if you would… if you could go with me to uhh…get a smoothie…" He then holds his hands up defensively, "But you don't have to if you don't want to…"

Lincoln rubs his chin in response, "Hmm ok…"

"So how did I do?" The Latino boy asks, though he already begins to mentally kick himself for that performance, _"Dangit! Why am I so nervous?! I don't get it! Ugh!""_

"Well the obvious thing is, you're nervous." The white-haired boy chuckles, "Though, I'll admit, you're still better than a friend of mine."

"Oh?" His companion tilts his head, "Why do you say that?"

The white-haired boy quickly scans the area, seemingly doing his best to make sure that his friend isn't around to hear what he is about to say, before he turns back to Bobby, "Between you and me, he literally nosebleeds around the girl he likes, before going full robot and passing out." He waves him off, "There is literally no way you can top his fails.

"Heh… that's a good confidence booster…" He trails off.

Lincoln nods in response, "Yeah, it is." He then nudges Bobby back a bit, before taking a step forward, "All right, let's take it from the top! Come on, you're not gonna improve if you don't try!"

The Latino boy takes a deep breath, "Ok." Before he looks Lincoln in the eyes once more, "Hey Lori…"

* * *

Hours pass with the duo simply continuing to practice. Soon enough, the afternoon sun begins to descend once more- though given its current position, evening is still far enough away that they could continue to practice- if they wished of course.

"All right Bobby, there she is." Lincoln sticks his head out from a set of bushes, allowing his eyes to fall upon the girl Bobby so vies for. She sits at one of the picnic tables set up in Royal Woods Park- simply working on a random assignment that her teacher had assigned this day. He then looks at him, "You ready?"

Instead of responding, the Latino boy simply begins to shiver, "N-no…"

"Come on, don't be like that! We've been working on this all day!" The white-haired boy shakes his head, "You're so close!"

"No… I can't do this." He shakes his head, "I just can't…" He looks away in shame. "I know we worked on this, but…" He looks at the young girl, "I… I don't think I can… please, you have to understand…"

Lincoln's heart begins to sink. He had to get Bobby and Lori together, but the boy in his midst is nothing like the young man he grown accustomed to! It is almost like they're two different people entirely!

" _I need to get Bobby to go ask Lori out…"_ Lincoln's thoughts begin to race, _"But… how am I…"_ His heart begins to race, _"There's only one option isn't there… and I'm the only one who can do it, right?"_ He glances at Bobby, the young boy unable to approach the girl he so desires. _"If Bobby can't work up the courage to ask Lori out then… then I guess I have to give him an example… It can't hurt right?"_ He takes a deep breath. "Watch Bobby, ok?"

Bobby turns to his companion, "M-Michael?"

Wordlessly, Lincoln steps forward and approaches the young girl, though her gaze doesn't break from the task at her hands.

The young boy's heart begins to beat faster, while Adrenaline begins to rush through his veins, _"Just stay calm Lincoln, just stay calm. You're just asking your sister out. You're doing this to help Bobby get Lori."_

"Hey there." He greets with a smile.

Lori looks up at her visitor and immediately blushes, "Oh, uhh hey…" She steels herself, "What do you want?"

Lincoln awkwardly rubs the back of his head, "Lori… I'm sorry…" He lets his arms go limp at his sides while he drops his head in shame.

The young girl raises an eyebrow in confusion, "What?"

The boy clutches his fists, "Look… I know I creeped you out by breaking into your home and stuff… and stealing a kiss." He sighs, "But… that's because I like you…"

Suddenly, Lori finds her own heart beating faster, while her face begins to go red.

"I'm sorry…" he repeats, "And I would be honored if you would let me make it up to you by taking you on a date… you know, just have a good time…"

For a moment, the two remain silent, with the young girl simply considering the apology and request. And yet, once she finishes, she simply smiles and nods, "Fine, I'll forgive you."

Lincoln's eyes go wide, "Really?!" While he thinks, _"Man, Lori was more forgiving when she's younger."_

"Yeah." She pokes him, "You're lucky you're cute, you know."

Blush fills the boy's face while he awkwardly rubs his arm, "Heh… thanks."

The young girl then starts to pack her things, "As for the date, well… I dunno, you did creep me out…" She rubs her chin, "Hmm…"

" _Please say yes!"_ A part of Lincoln shouts, while another part of him cries out, _"No! She's your sister! This is a stupid crush! Why the heck are you letting yourself get this far?!"_

Lori shrugs, "You know what, sure. Let's have a date."

The boy smiles, "G-great." Before rubbing his head, "Do you, uhh… wanna meet up here later? I mean, this is a nice place to walk, you know…"

"Sure." The young girl throws her bag over her shoulder and turns around, "I'll see you later." And with that, she looks back and smiles at him, before turning and walking away leaving the young boy to his thoughts.

"Wow…" Bobby walks over, "So… uh… what happened?"

"She accepted…" Lincoln can barely answer.

The Latino boy raises an eyebrow in confusion, "Uhh… what do you mean Michael?"

"I'm going on a date with her later." He finishes, _"A part of me wants to cheer and another is horrified! What am I gonna do?!"_

"Oh… well then I guess you're gonna… show me what she likes, right?" He rubs the back of his head, "Sorry I froze up like that…"

"It's fine…" Lincoln then steps forward, "Let's go…"

Bobby nods and follows.

And with that, Lincoln looks up at the rising sun, _"Maybe I'm the person that came six years ago…"_

8-5-25! 7-18-1-22-9-20-25 6-1-12-12-19 9-19 7-15-14-14-1 19-21-5 25-15-21 6-15-18 3-15-16-25-18-9-7-8-20 9-14-6-18-9-14-7-5-13-5-14-20!

 **A/N I hope you guys enjoyed! And as always, feel free to send in ideas and to give me suggestions for how to improve!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **gamelover41592: Yep! Some things just never change!**

 **celrock: Thanks! I needed to make sure that it wasn't just blind love of course!**

 **Finnjr63: Yes, yes I am.**

 **DreadedCandiru: Yeah… anyways according to Rick Sanchez logic, this makes sense!**

 **Zoinks81: Thanks! Though the funny thing is I didn't see BTTF until after I came up with this idea XD.**

 **364wii: Lori's my favorite sister.**

 **TheLivingMyth: The only way to find out is to keep on going! Thanks for the support!**


	7. A Date With Lori Loud

**And here it is! Week 1 is finally complete! I hope you enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 7: A Date With Lori Loud

"So… what's the plan, Michael?" Bobby shoves his hands in his pockets, while looking up towards the setting sun.

" _I don't know…"_ Lincoln sighs, before shaking his head, "To be honest, I didn't think she'd actually say yes."

The Latino boy raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "Why's that, bro?" He turns to his fear.

"Well, that's simple really." He turns to his friend, "Remember, she thinks… or at least though I was a creep!" He shakes his head, "And now she's happily going on a date with me, as if she were waiting for it!" Though he can't help, but think, _"Yeah… this is gonna be pretty awkward if it goes any further from here…"_

"Oh… well if I were in your place bro, I'm sure I'd be cheering my brains out or something." Bobby chuckles.

" _I doubt you would be."_ Lincoln sighs, "Anyways, the date's gonna start over here." He walks over to a nearby bench, "I'll be waiting for Lori here, ok?"

"Ok." Bobby nods in understanding, "So what do you want me to do?"

" _Well… if having to watch Rom Com's with my sisters has taught me anything, it's that if you wanna get a girl to give you the time of day, you're gonna first know what she likes and dislikes."_ The boy motions towards a nearby tree, "I need you to wait for her behind that tree, ok? And when she finally comes by, I need you to listen in on everything we talk about and take note about what we do."

"Uhh… isn't that a bit… you know, creepy?" The Latino boy rubs his head, unsure of just how to respond to his friend's orders. "You know…since this is a date and all… wouldn't Lori want some privacy?"

" _He's already thinking of her… the crazy guy…"_ He waves him off, "Don't worry, I'm just going on this date to help you get her later, ok? Besides, how hard can it be?!" He throws his head back and laughs, _"I just have to make this the worst date possible and then she'll never wanna see me again."_

Reluctantly, Bobby rakes a deep breath, "All right Michael… I guess that isn't that bad of an idea…" His voice trails off uncertainly, before he steps behind the tree, allowing Lincoln to hop on the bench and wait, _"Now, I just need Lori to come by so we can start our date…"_

" _You know this isn't gonna work out, right? She's your sister for Pete's sake!"_ Lincoln quickly kicks himself, _"To be honest, I don't even know why she decided to accept my offer for a date… I mean come on! It's like she… has a crush on me for some reason…"_ He sighs, _"I feel like Eddie Puss right now…"_

A few minutes pass with that, before the young, blonde-haired girl finally steps into the park and approaches the boy, "Hey."

" _It's now or never!"_ Lincoln immediately perks up, "H-Hey Lori." He hops to his feet, "How are ya?"

"I'm doin' fine… you never told me your name ya…" She chuckles.

"I'm Michael." He rubs the back of his head, "So… you ready for our date?"

Lori nods, "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't." She then turns and begins walking, allowing Lincoln to walk along side her, "Got any plans?"

"I was thinking that we could just have a simply walk through the park." The white-haired boy shrugs, "I mean, given what we've been through the past few days- you know, with school and family and stuff- it'd be nice to just unwind and have a good time."

The girl considers the idea for a moment- after all, she has never heard of a date being so simple! And yet, she finds herself simply shrugging, after all, if couldn't hurt, now could it? "All right then, sure."

"Awesome." Lincoln chuckles, before shoving his hands in his pockets, _"Come on… you need to make her hate you…"_ He sighs, "By the way… I'm sorry for breaking in your home the other day… really, I am…"

For a moment the girl thinks, before she replies, "You already apologized for that."

"I know… It's just… I know that I probably scared the heck out of you and your family." He awkwardly rubs the back of his head, "Esspecially your dad…"

Lori waves him off, "Actually, you don't need to worry about my dad much. That's just how he reacts to everything."

"Oh…" He continues, "Still… I'm sorry…"

"It's fine." She blushes, "You know… I've always dreamed that a boy would be brave enough to climb into my bedroom to see me…"

"Heh… yeah…" Lincoln rubs the back of his head, "I just… well I didn't know how to get your attention any other way." Though he still kicks himself, _"Dangit Lincoln! Why are you lying so hard?!"_

The duo simply walk in silence for the next moment, the duo both blushing- seemingly unsure of just how to continue their conversation.

Though, of course, Lincoln finds a way, "Heh… before I ran out of your home, I saw some of your siblings…" He turns to her, "You have a big family, huh?"

She sighs, "Yeah… So far, I've got five sisters and a brother."

"Wow…" his voice trails off, "That's just like my family."

Lori raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "Oh? Why do you say that?"

"I have ten sisters and I'm the only boy out of all of them." He can't help, but chuckle at the idea."

"Wow…" Her eyes go wide, "You parents were even busier than mine have been!"

"Yeah… they were…" His voice trails off, before he turns back to her, "But, I'm sure that they're workin' on it, right?"

The girl shrugs, "Well... from the looks of it, they are." She shakes her head, "My mom is pregnant again. Probably with another girl."

Lincoln raises an eyebrow, "Why do you say that? It's like you have no hope of having another brother!"

"I'll be honest, I don't." She looks up, "I mean it is six to one at this point. The chances of having another girl are kinda slim-to-none."

" _Why does this feel frustrating?"_ He shakes his head, "Heh… I see your point."

"Still… no matter what happens, in the end, I'm gonna have to be the one to take care of her…" her voice fills with a hint of hopelessness. "After all… I'm the oldest and it's my job…"

"It can't be that bad, now can it?" Her companion raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "You know… to have all that power over your siblings, making sure you can tell them what they can and can't do. Then, when your parents go away and leave you in charge, you get to put them all to sleep." He looks her the eyes, though she continues to look forward, a sad expression forming.

"Yeah… that's what it always looks like." She rubs her arm and looks away, "You are in charge! You get to tell your many siblings what to do! You're the boss!" She then flares her arms for emphasis, "But… when you have as many siblings as I do… well.. We always end up treading a fine line between order and everything falling apart."

" _Wow… This can't be Lori… Lori is the queen of no! She always loves being in charge! It's like she was born to do it!"_ Lincoln turns to face forward once more, before continuing onward. In the distance, they can see a small fountain- its clear waters glowing in the near-evening light. "Come on, it can't be that bad!"

She sighs, "Michael… can I tell you something? Or trust you?"

"Of course." He chuckles, "In a family as big as mine, privacy is something we all love having." He then wraps his arm around her, making sure to bathe her in his welcoming heat.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to handle all the siblings my mom and dad are giving me…" She shakes her head, while her eyes clothes and her voice fills with fear.

Surprised is the last thing Lincoln had expected to feel this day. Lori Loud, the oldest of the eleven Loud Siblings, stands wrapped around his arm, admitting her fear. Of course, he knew what she has to deal with- after all, he had taken her job for about five minutes! And yet, he still finds himself looking on, shock filling his body.

"Look… I know that we just met and I slapped you and stuff… but I… well…" She looks into his eyes, "I feel like I can trust you for some reason… I don't know why…"

" _Because I'm your brother… that's why…"_ He smiles, "Don't worry Lori, I'm sure you'll be able to handle it all."

Yet, the young girl remains silent, seemingly unwilling to accept his reassurances.

Lincoln mentally sighs in response, _"I don't know if this date is going well or not… Lori feels comfortable with me so…"_ He then stands up straight and continues walking, making sure to keep his comforting hand wrapped around her.

Soon enough, they stand before the fountain that rests in the center of Royal Woods Park, with Lori looking into its waters while Lincoln leans back against it, "Lori…"

"Yes?" The young girl answers.

"You're gonna be all right, ok?" He assures, "I know I just met you too, but…" He rubs the back of his head, "From what I've seen and heard of you well…" he starts to blush, _"Am I seriously gonna do this? She's my sister! But… why do I feel like she's just a random girl?"_

"Yeah?" She speaks with a hint of pain in her voice.

"You're a smart girl. You know just how to keep things in check, despite how crazy everything gets." He chuckles, "And that you're great at video games." While he thinks, _"Even better than me when we're older…"_

"Thank…" Her voice trails off."

" _I need to cheer her up…"_ Lincoln begins to scan the scene. From what he can see, random people simply run around, simply enjoying the autumn weather. There are couples pushing their children's carriage while more children simply run around playing whatever games they can come up with.

"Ice cream! Fresh Ice cream here!" A man shouts.

" _Well that's convenient."_ Lincoln pushes himself up, "I'll be right back."

Lori looks up in confusion.

Quickly, Lincoln runs over to the man, "Two chocolate ice creams pelase!"

And within seconds, they exchange what is required, before Lincoln rushes back, the treat in hand, "For you."

Lori stares at the cone and sweet for a moment, before taking it in her hand and smiling, "Heh chocolate, my favorite." Before she begins to lick it, "Thanks Michael."

He shrugs, "It's the least I can do, after everything." He chuckles, "Thanks for giving me this chance, Lori."

"No problem." She chuckles as well, "Thanks for listening to my rambling, I know I can be long winded and stuff…."

"Incoming!" A loud voice shouts, preventing Lincoln from answering.

"What the-" The boy turns to face the source, _"I don't remember seeing anyone playing with a ball."_ And yet, before he knows it, a bright red ball smacks Lori in the side of the head, causing her to lose her balance.

"Lori!" Lincoln shouts, unhesitating to grab her arm, "Don't worry I got you!"

The blonde-haired girl takes a breath, before Lincoln suddenly pulls back, forcing her to stumble forward… as well as causing him to fall back. And before they know it, they land on the nearby grass, with Lori on top of Lincoln and the duo blushing madly in embarrassment.

"Heh… Thanks for the save, Michael." Lori begins to play with her hair.

"No problem." 'Michael' answers, before chuckling, "Sorry about the ice cream."

She chuckles, "Haha, don't worry about it." Before she forces herself up and offers her hand to the boy- which he happily accepts.

Soon, the sun finishes its nightly descent, allowing the street lamps to flicker to life.

"Anyways… thanks for the talk." The young girl blushes.

"No problem." He answers, rubbing the back of his head as he does so.

Lori then sighs, "Look… I found you cute… that's really the only reason I agreed after everything you did…"

The boy can feel his heart sink.

"But…" She rubs her arm, while looking into his eyes, "I had fun… let's do this again some time."

Lincoln's heart begins to beat faster, "S-sure. Let's talk about it tomorrow. You have to get home, right?"

The girl nods and smiles, "Yeah. Let's talk about it tomorrow." She then hugs him, before breaking off, "See you at school!" Before she turns and runs away, allowing Bobby to break free of his hiding place.

"So, that looks like it went well." He quips.

"Yeah…" he waves at the young girl in his midst, while his eyes begin to go wide with realization, _"I'm dating my sister… That means_ _ **I really am**_ _the boy that came six years ago!"_

23-5-12-16 9-20-'19 15-6-6-9-3-9-1-12: 12-9-14-3-15-12-14 8-1-19 7-15-14-5 6-21-12-12 5-4-4-9-5 16-21-19-19 6-15-18 12-15-18-9.

 **A/N Lincoln has finally realized the truth! Good on everyone who figured it out early! Now all he has to do is survive this all!**

 **Review Responses:**

 **gamelover41592: Thanks! And yep! Sometimes you just gotta go for it!**

 **BoukenDutch: Heh good point. All I do know is I took the first 2 yesterday and I've passed them both!**

 **celrock: Heh this chapter answers that. Thanks!**

 **364wii: Heh, I wonder why Lynn's at the bottom.**

 **Dreaded Candiru2: Heh I don't get it!**

 **painfulldarksoul: Thanks! And don't worry. I made a promise and I'll see it through!**

 **Finnjr63: Thanks!**


	8. Lullaby In Heartland

**A/N Day 8, man my head hurts… Ehh, I'll be fine! I hope you all enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 8: Lullaby In Heartland

"So… what's gonna happen?" Bobby looks at his companion with concern filling his eyes, "I mean… you know I was doing my best to listen in and stuff, but…" He rubs the back of his head, "I didn't get a chance to hear what you two did after she got hit with that ball… ya know…"

"Oh…" Lincoln shakes himself back to reality, _"You just gotta stay calm Lincoln. After all, just because you're the boy your sister fell in love with all those years ago, doesn't mean you're allowed to go any further."_ He sighs.

Bobby places a hand on the boy's shoulder, "Uhh… are you ok, Michael?"

"Yeah." The boy responds, pushing away his companion's offer as he does so, before turning and walking away, "I'm… I'll go tell you what's gonna happen later, ok?" He sighs, "I need some time to think."

"But Michael…" Bobby holds his arm up, seemingly begging the white-haired boy to stay with him, "You promised me that you'd help me get Lori…" Pain begins to fill his voice.

Though the boy chooses not to bother. After all, he has his own issues to handle.

"See you at school tomorrow." Lincoln declares, "I'll talk to you about it tomorrow." And with that, Bobby is left to watch as the young boy that had once helped him learn how to ask a girl out now left him behind- seemingly unsure if he had made the right choice.

" _Why do I have a feeling like that boy is trying to hide something…"_ He sighs, before looking at the ground below his feet, _"He helped me out… and yet he seems to be closer to Lori then he lets on… why though?"_

He then shakes his head, _"You know what… I shouldn't ask, I'm sure that it's nothing."_ He mentally slaps himself- after all, his companion couldn't be hiding stuff from him! Right? And so, with that thought in mind, he turns and begins to make his way out of the park- on his way to a lonely home in a random corner of Royal Woods.

* * *

" _Dangit… dangit… dangit…"_ The young boy does his best to drown out his thoughts, _"You helped her, gave her ice cream and even planned to go out on a second date with her! Why are you going so far to impress a girl that you know it'll never work out with! You have Ronnie Anne for Pete's sake! How'd she react when she finds out you've got a crush on your sister?!"_

He then sighs, before looking ahead. Just a few feet away stands the McBride residence- thankfully they had given him the guest room to stay in until he could find a new place to live. "Just stay calm… I have to call Lisa. She's bound to help me get through this, right?"

Hope begins to fill the young boy's body, before he opens the door and heads up to the guest room- thankfully, the McBride family had not returned home, meaning he had some free reign over the home while he was there.

Without hesitation he hops on the bed and opens up the device, "Hey Lisa, I need you, come on…" And within moments, the device's projector opens once more, causing the young girl to appear sitting at the couch.

*Yawn* "How goes the search, elder sibling? Have you found the boy you have been searching for these past few days?" Her voice is filled with exhaustion, while the once small bags under her eyes have grown- no doubt she had stayed up several nights trying desperately to find a way to bring her brother home… while also doing her best to cover for him.

" _Should I tell her? I mean… it could make my life easier…"_ Lincoln sighs, "Lisa… yeah, I found him."

"Splendid." She tiredly answers, "All right, you just have to tell me what he knows and you'll-"

"It's me." Lincoln cuts the young girl off."

Lisa raises an eyebrow in confusion, "What?"

Lincoln grits his teeth, _"Last chance, this is your last chance to put this off! You can't be the guy, right? But… everything seems to fit in so well."_ And so, he shakes his head, "Lisa, I'm the guy who Lori fell in love with all those years ago."

The young girl's heart begins to sink, "But… how? That just can't be…"

"It can…" Lincoln shakes his head, "This is time travel… unless this runs on a time loop or something, none of this should even be possible without creating a time paradox or something!" Suddenly the realization begins to hit him, _"None the time travel movies I've watched really make sense… if you try to go back in time, you're just gonna create a time loop in which you are the cause of everything that has happened…"_

"I see…" Her voice trails off, "Very well, if you believe that to be the case, then it seems I must work harder from my end."

"Ok…" Lincoln takes another deep breath, "Lisa, I need you to ask Lori where she had her second date with the boy, ok?"

The young girl raises an eyebrow in confusion, "Why? Is it…" Slowly, her eyes go wide in realization, "Wait… you're dating Lori?!"

The boy rubs the back of his head, "Yeah… we met and stuff and had a good time and she, well, said we can have another date, ya know…"

The young scientist pinches the bridge of her nose, "Lincoln, I know that you believe that you are the young man that Lori fell in love with all those years ago, but just because you **think** that, that is the case doesn't mean you're allowed to do whatever you want!"

Lincoln takes a breath, "I know, I know Lisa…"he looks away, "But, I just have to keep doing this, ok? Please, I need you to understand and to keep covering for me."

"Grr… This isn't going to end well Lincoln!" The scientist shakes her head, "You know that love is just a series of chemical reactions that gets organisms to mate! This is wrong!"

" _Yeah… I know… but…"_ He hesitates his answer, allowing his mind to fall upon the joy-filled image of Lori- her soft smile, her brilliant, blonde curls, her eyes- oh how he had never noticed the glow in her eyes. He shakes his head, "Lisa, if you don't tell me, I'm just gonna pick a random place."

Lisa grimaces, "Grr… you're lucky that I do not want to risk the creation of a time paradox." She then pulls out a small notebook, "According to Lori, she had her first date at the park, is this correct?"

Lincoln nods, "Yeah, we walked through the park today."

"All right." Lisa flips along, "This means that you're going to have your second date at… a movie screening."

"Did she tell you what movie?" The boy raises an eyebrow in confusion.

Lisa shakes her head, "No, all she did say was that she was holding onto him the whole time." She then looks up, "That means that in order to prove that you are or are not the person she was talking about, you must find the least intimidating movie possible and go to watch it with her, understand?"

Lincoln nods, "Yeah… thanks Lisa… Good luck on the device."

"No problem, according to my calculations, I am about one-third of the way through finishing it."

The boy nods with that, "Great, thanks…" Before he ends the call and drops back on the bed, _"Dangit… Why does everything have to be so complicated?!"_ And with that, he closes his eyes and begins to drift off into a soft, Lori-filled dream.

Though he doesn't notice the room door opening, followed by a young boy stepping through. Slowly, the young boy walks over and climbs on the bed, before poking its young occupant, causing him to stir from his slumber, "Huh?"

"Hi there!" The young boy greets. He has dark skin and black hair, while also wearing the yellow and blue shirt the white-haired boy had grown accustomed to him wearing.

"Oh… hey Clyde." Lincoln greets, before sitting up, "What's up?"

"I wanna play with you!" He cheers.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Lisa closes her laptop with that, "Oh Lincoln… why are you hurting yourself like that?"

"What?!" Lola rushes over, "Lincoln's hurting himself?!" She quickly grabs the young scientist by the shirt, "What's going on Lisa?!"

Quickly, she raises her hands defensively, "Now Lola, calm down, I do not mean that he is actually harming himself, but rather he undertaking actions that will lead to him being in pain."

The pageant queen narrows her gaze at her, "Explain."

"He is currently trying to woo a young woman whom is completely out of his league and will not go out with him for long."

Suddenly, the young pageant queen lets go, while her face goes red, "You mean he and Ronnie Anne didn't work out, but he's going out with someone else?!"

"You can say that." She answers, _"Yes… Lori would most likely be horrified when she finds out the truth, but for now I must make sure that Lola does no blab to the rest of the sisters- lest I lose my lab and Lincoln remains trapped in the past."_

"Eeee!" Lola squeals, "I have to go get the girls! They're starting to get worried since Lincoln's been gone for three days!" She then turns to bolt, and yet, Lisa grabs her arm, "No, We mustn't tell them just yet."

"Why's that?" The older girl raises an eyebrow in confusion.

Lisa adjusts her glasses, "Simple really, Lincoln must be allowed to woo her himself, and when he needs out help, we supply it."

For a moment Lola stares at her scientist sister. Of course, the younger girl isn't one for helping out Lincoln- unless she needed him to be a test subject of some kinda- and yet, here she is, dissuading her sisters from trying to interfere in his love life. _"Something is going on…"_

Lisa shakes her head, "Now, I must return to my studies." And with that, the young girl hops to her feet and heads up, leaving Lola alone to think, _"What are you hiding, Lisa?"_

13-1-14 9-20 12-15-15-11-19 12-9-11-5 5-22-5-18-25 9-19 7-15-14-14-1 8-1-22-5 1 2-18-15-11-5-14 8-5-1-18-20 2-25 20-8-5 5-14-4 15-6 20-8-9-19…

 **A/N Man, time flies when you're writing a time travel story, doesn't it?! I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **That Engineer: It's like the time Fry from Futurama became his own Grandfather!**

 **gamelover4192: Yep! He now is!**

 **TheLivingMyth: I think it's more, he is the boy, he replaced no one. And yep! He's completely missed the point of his job!**

 **DreadedCandiru2: Or turn him into a human pretzel.**

 **Finnjr63: Thanks!**

 **364wii: Things change as you grow up. And ahh, that makes sense!**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: Yes, yes it is.**

 **7lights13darknesses: Heh all right mate, I wish you the best and thanks for your support!**

 **celrock: That's Lisa's question to answer.**


	9. A Game With Clyde McBride

**A/N Day 9 what a line! I hope you guys enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 9: A Game With Clyde McBride

For a moment, the young boy considers the suggestion, after all, ever since he arrived in the past, he was searching for a young boy- whom he had realized to be himself- and just spending time in the lunchroom at the local school. The mere idea of just sitting down and trying to have a little fun would be perfect for someone in his place!

And yet, he simply shakes his head, _"I really need to focus. How the heck am I gonna help Lori get into Bobby if she's now into me? I mean, seriously?!"_

The young boy stares at him for a moment, before pouting in disappointment, "Aww, please? My dads said that you'd love to play with me?"

Lincoln takes a moment to consider the scene- he is simply sitting on the guest room bed and Clyde, as a five-year-old, approached him asking to play whatever random game a five-year-old can come up with, _"This is a horrible idea… this just doesn't make enough sense as it is? Why am I gonna torture and confuse myself?!"_

He looks into the younger boy's eyes. From what the white-haired child can see, they're dark brown and opened wide, signaling that he is begging for something he knows would be difficult to provide.

" _Dangit…"_ The white-haired boy mentally kicks himself, _"Why am I not immune to the goo-goo eyes?!"_ He shakes his head, "…Fine Clyde." He sighs in defeat, "I'll play **one** game with you, ok?"

Clyde smiles, before cheering, "Yay!" and turning to the rush out the door.

"Huh… well that was easier than I-" Yet, before Lincoln can even finish the thought, the young Clyde rushes back into the room, now holding onto a small deck of cards. He runs over to his guest and presents them. "Card Battle cards?"

The dark-skinned boy nods quickly, "I wanna play card battle with you!" His smile begins to widen, "Do you know how to play?!"

Lincoln can't help, but chuckle, "Heh, I do." He takes the cards in hand, "Do you have a deck?"

Quickly, the boy nods, before pulling out a stack of cards. They're rather worn and rough around the edges- no doubt he meant well but is completely inexperienced with just how to treat expensive pieces of cardboard well.

"Well then, I guess it couldn't hurt to play." He hops off the bed and takes a seat on the floor, with Clyde following it up soon after. They quickly shuffle for a moment- though Lincoln has to shuffle for Clyde as well- before he finally asks the younger boy, "All right, you ready to play?"

"Yeah!" Clyde slams the pile of cards on the floor and pulls a card from the pile, "I play the wind bird!" And with that he slams a card on the carpet.

"Cool." Lincoln sighs, _"That's not like what he does when I play him in the future… I guess I teach him how to use the pig too…"_ He takes a deep breath and pulls a card as well, "I'll just set a card and end my turn."

The younger boy tilts his head in confusion, "Ok…" before pulling a card from the pile once more, "I play water bird and they both attack you!"

"Great…" His voice trails off, _"Man… I'm really making a mess of the past, aren't I?"_

For a moment, the boy simply looks on in confusion. His older, and most likely more experienced, opponent had just taken a high amount of damage in a single volley, and yet, he wasn't fighting back. "Uhh… you ok?"

Quickly, Lincoln shakes his head, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Ok… it's your turn…" The boy responds, allowing Lincoln to put his next card down, "I end my turn."

" _This is weird…."_ The younger boy draws again, "I uhh… I attack again."

Lincoln doesn't respond, _"I have to make sure that I don't break Lori's heart now… she'd never forgive me for it if I did!"_ He then looks away, _"That's not even mentioning how much Bobby probably hates me for getting it on with Lori when he can't even muster up the courage to talk to her!"_ He facepalms, _"Heck! He probably thinks I'm gonna stay with her forever!"_ He then shakes his head, _"But I know… this can't last. I have to go home."_

"Uhh… Michael?" Clyde leans over and shakes his opponent, "Are you ok?"

Immediately, Lincoln snaps back to reality, "Oh, what just happened?"

"I attacked you…" Clyde's voice trails off, while he looks into Lincoln's eyes, concern filling his body, "What's going on?"

"Nothing." The boy pushes himself up, "I just… don't really wanna play right now, ok?" He then climbs onto the bed and lies down, "I'm not feeling well you know."

For a moment, the young boy looks at his older guest, before puffing up his cheeks and climbing on the bed with him, "I wanna know! What's bugging you?"

" _He's just a kid here… he doesn't have that crush on Lori that'll cause him to robot-out on me, right?"_ He takes a deep breath, "It's fine Clyde, I'll be fine, I just wanna be alone now to think."

"Is this about love?" The young boy hops over Lincoln and takes his head in his hands.

" _He's smarter here than I thought…"_ Lincoln immediately breaks free of his younger friend's grasp, "N-no!"

The young Clyde pauses for a moment, "My dads always say, when you try to deny something like that, then I've probably asked the right question!" He comes closer, "Is it another boy? Or is it a girl who was a boy?!"

" _Well… at least his dads are raising him to mean well…"_ The white-haired boy pushes his visitor away and hops to his feet, "Fine, you got me, yes, this is about a girl."

"I was right!" The boy slams his fist into his hand in excitement, "Now I just gotta make sure that everything works out for you!"

"That'll be easier said than done, Clyde." Lincoln shakes his head.

The younger boy raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "Why's that?"

"Simple really." He sighs, "It's because I'm in love with a person I'm not supposed to be in love with."

"You mean like my dads?" Clyde tilts his head in curiosity, "My dads always told me that no one wanted them to be together, so they ran away and got married in New York!"

Lincoln rubs the back of his head, before turning around to face the boy and motioning with his hand. "Well… it's sorta like that I guess…"

"Love is love then!" The younger boy flares his arms in order to emphasize his point, "I'm sure that if you just tell the truth about it all, you're bound to go far!" he then lowers his arms and shrugs, "I mean, what's the worst that can happen?"

" _A lot… because this love may be the same thing, but it's between a time traveller and a sister that doesn't recognize him."_ He then takes a deep breath, "Thanks."

"Yeah! No problem!" Clyde then grabs his cards, "Wanna play? I mean, after all, it couldn't hurt to see where the rabbit hole will go!"

For a moment, Lincoln considers the young boy's words. Yeah, he is in the past, and of course, he cannot mess with what happens. And yet, despite it all, things seem to work all too well… Maybe it would be a good idea to keep going, despite how wrong he feels, just to see how far the Rabbit Hole goes, _"Plus… maybe there's a reason why Lori treats us the way she does… and I don't want to break her heart over my own fears…"_

And so he takes a deep breath, "All right Clyde, all right, I'll play with you.

The young boy cheers, before pulling his card, "I play the fire bird!"

Lincoln chuckles, _"Younger Clyde is way different than new Clyde."_ Before he sits down and grabs a card as well, "All right, I play the pig!"

"The pig?" Clyde tilts his head in confusion.

Lincoln simply smiles, "Let's go, I've got some teaching to do." And with that they go on to play the game for the rest of the night, _"I just have to be careful. If I'm not careful, I'm not the only one who's going to have a broken heart… I just have to make sure that no matter what happens, that Lori and Bobby will end up together in the end."_

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Lisa leans back in her seat, limply dropping her arms at her sides as she does so, "I don't know what to do anymore… I've made sure that everything is connected, and all of the functions that tract the watch are functional, but something seems to be interrupting my ability to bring Lincoln back…" She rubs her chin, _"It is almost as if someone or something is interfering with the device…"_

"Hey Lisa, you see Lincoln anywhere?" Luna sticks her head into the scientist's room. "He none of the girls have seen him round…"

" _Dangit… I knew they'd catch on eventually…"_ Lisa does her best to maintain her composure, before turning to face her sister, "No I have not. I apologize, elder sister."

For a moment, Luna stares at the young girl, before simply sighing, "Ok… if you hear from him, mind telling us all? Mom and dad are starting to get worried…" her voice trails off.

" _Dangit again!"_ Lisa takes a deep breath, _"If Luna's words are the truth then that can only mean one thing."_ Soon enough she begins moving her hands around her work desk once more, _"I do not have as much time as I hoped… I may need to tell the other girls so that they will be able help me cover for him… I just hope that Lori does not put two and two together…"_

She then looks out the nighttime window once more, _"This is not going to end well…"_

9-20-'19 20-9-13-5 20-15 4-21-5-12! 3-1-18-4 23-1-18-19 19-20-25-12-5 23-9-20-8 3-12-25-4-5 13-3-2-18-9-4-5!

 **A/N Man, these tests are gonna be the death of me. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **celrock: Well, it's Clyde so… Heh even in the past he's fun.**

 **364wii: Eventually I suppose, unless they go the Rick And Morty route and literally shelve the idea.**

 **DreadedCandiru2: Because the dead have seen the end of suffering?**

 **BoukenDutch: Yep! The problem now is, how stable is the timeloop?!**

 **Zoinks81: Heh no problem. Really, the hardest part of this is dealing with tests and finishing Finding A Loud during the course of this all. That's why I'm bending the rules a bit to cope with my busy schedule (Writing a short backlog of chapters before posting).**

 **7lights13darknesses: Heh I'll tell you more soon!**

 **TheLivingMyth: Heh but first he has to plan it with her!**

 **gamelover41592: Yep! Some things just never change!**

 **Lincolnloud987: There's not much to it really, though my method is a bit hard to explain. I come up with ideas on the fly, while also taking the suggestions people give me. For example, in this story so far, I wasn't planning them to have fun at the park, but that was what popped into my mind. I also didn't plan for a certain event that is now in the works. If you need anything else, feel free to ask!**

 **Finnjr63: There probably is. Thanks for the support!**


	10. Setup For The Best

**A/N Hey guys, short chapter today because I've got a test in an hour. Thankfully, I'm still on track for the challenge so this doesn't matter too much.**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 10: A Setup For The Best

 _"All right Lincoln, you just gotta go with the flow."_ the young boy takes a deep breath, before walking over to a certain young boy, "Hey Bobby, what's up?"

The Latino boy turns to Lincoln, a look of annoyance readily apparent on his face, "So, what's gonna happen next?"

For a moment, Lincoln simply hesitates- after all, he doesn't want to annoy Bobby further. And so, he simply takes a breath, "Ok, I'm planning on going on another date with her."

Bobby's eyes go wide in shock, "But Michael! How the heck am I supposed to, you know work up the courage to ask Lori out if you're always spending time with her?!" He flares his arms, trying desperately to emphasize his point.

In response, Lincoln simply motions for him to calm down, "Don't worry, I know it'll be hard, but I'm going to make sure she hates me." He then limps his hands at his sides, "Come on Bobby, you trust me, don't you?"

The Latino boy turns and shuts his locker, "I don't know Lincoln… you really have had a bad track record with this stuff…" He glances at his companion, "It looks like you're trying to woo her, you know…"

" _That's because I might be…"_ Lincoln hesitates for a moment, taking care to pick his next words carefully, before taking a deep breath, "Don't worry, Bobby." He places a hand on his shoulder, "Would it help you out if I told you what I have in mind?"

He hesitates in response, _"Why the heck did I ever think this guy was actually going to help me get the girl of my dreams? Anyone would be lucky enough to get her to date them!"_ He shakes his head, before looking into Lincoln's eyes and speaking with a near-venomous tone, "Sure Michael, what do you have in mind?"

"Did you finish packing for class?"

"Yeah." He hoists his backpack on his back, "Why?"

The white-haired boy then turns and motions for his companion to follow, "Because, we're gonna go look for Lori, that way I can explain what I want to happen next, ok?

Bobby responds by giving him a suspicious look, before simply nodding, "All right."

And with that, Lincoln sprints into the lunchroom. It takes him only a moment, before he spots the young woman of his companion's affections, simply eating lunch with her friends. _"Great, she's here!"_ He ducks behind one of the barriers. "Over here!"

Bobby shrugs, before ducking behind it as well, "Ok Michael, Lori is right there, what do you have in mind?"

Lincoln takes a deep breath, _"This is definitely not gonna end well."_ He then looks at the young girl, taking note of her seemingly perfect features, _"But hey, lets see where the rabbit hole goes."_ He turns to face his companion "So, I'm gonna go ask her on a second date, ok?"

Instead of anger or confusion, Bobby remains silent… it is almost as if he had expected Lincoln to suggest that. "I knew it."

"What do you mean?" The white-haired boy raises an eyebrow in confusion.

A soft fury begins to burn in the young boy's eyes, "You want to date her too!" He raises his finger and points at him, "You're just stringing me along so you can go at her without having to worry about competition!"

" _I should've seen this coming."_ Lincoln quickly holds his hands up defensively. "N-no, it's not like that!"

"Oh yeah?" The Latino crosses his arms and simply stares into the boy's eyes, "Then prove it. What are you planning on doing with her?"

Lincoln pushes his companion off, _"Don't let it get to you Lincoln, you're gonna do your best and follow the rabbit hole."_ He takes a deep breath, "I'm going to go on a date with her, but I'm going to do my best to make it go as horribly as possible."

Bobby raises and eyebrow in curiosity, "And?"

" _Great, he doesn't want me dead anymore!"_ Lincoln takes a deep breath, "And, once the date goes absolutely horrible, Lori will never want to go out with me again." He then rubs his own arm, "After that, you can go talk to Lori and she might give youa chance."

The Latino boy loosens up ever so slightly, while he continues to stare at Lincoln with a judgmental gaze, "Fine, I'll let it go." He turns around, "Go on your date. But make sure it goes as poorly as possible."

"Will do." Lincoln quips, _"Just because I want to see where this rabbit hole goes, doesn't mean I want Lori's heart to break… I have to make sure that she breaks up with me in the end."_ With that, the young boy steps out from his cover and approaches the young girl, "Hey Lori."

Immediately, the blonde-haired girl perks up, "Oh, hey Michael!" She motions towards the other girls sitting at the table, "Girls, this is my boyfriend, Lincoln!" she then motions towards the boy, "Michael, these are my friends, Brittany and Carol!" She then leans back in her seat, "What's up?"

" _I guess this was before she started to hate Carol."_ Lincoln rubs the back of his head, "Oh, nothing much." He shrugs, "I just wanted to know if you wanted to go to the movies with me tomorrow, you know, since class isn't too hard, right?"

For a moment, Lori rubs her chin.

" _I hope my parents aren't crazier than they are in my time."_ Lincoln silently begs, before his partner shrugs, "Sure Mike, I'm sure that'd be nice."

"Awesome!" Lincoln mentally cheers, though he still can't help, but feel that he is making a big mistake, "So, where do you wanna meet up?"

"How about the theater? My mom and dad are probably going to bury you if you step foot near our home." She awkwardly rubs the back of her head, though she can't help, but chuckle at the idea. _"Heh, he'd probably have to run hard in order not to get caught!"_

Lincoln smiles, "All right then, I'll meet you there after school!" he then turns and waves her off, before bolting out of the room, leaving Lori behind to smile at him, while Bobby stares at the couple, frustration filling his eyes.

He clumps his fists, "Dangit… what's going on with me?" He sighs, _"Just relax. Just relax. How would Nie Nie react if she saw you like this?"_ And with that, he turns and makes his way out of the room.

9-20-'19 1-12-13-15-19-20 20-9-13-5 6-15-18 12-15-18-9 1-14-4 12-9-14-3-15-12-14-'19 4-1-20-5 20-23-15: 5-12-5-3-20-18-9-3 2-15-15-7-1-12-15-15

 **A/N I hope you guys enjoyed! I gotta go back to studying!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **BoukenDutch: Sometimes you just forget things when you're younger.**

 **River Person: WD Gaster!**

 **gamelover41592: She better, though next chapter will involve her and what she's trying to do.**

 **celrock: Thanks!**

 **DreadedCandiru2: Heh though that hasn't happened just yet.**

 **Finnjr63: Not just yet! I've got 20 chapters to go!**

 **364wii: Hey, what can I say, sometimes the Lodus can be inconsistent!**


	11. Hiding The Truth

**A/N Well I pulled it off. Despite having so many tests this week, I was able to keep myself together long enough to write these chapters! I hope you enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 11: Hiding The Truth

"You did what?!" Lisa shouts in frustration, "Lincoln! I thought I told you that just because you believe yourself to be some random boy that came along six years ago doesn't mean you really are that boy!"

Lincoln raises his eyebrow in response, "Uhh Lisa… you never mentioned-"

Yet, before the boy can finish his argument, the toddler cuts him off, "Lincoln! Everything you do could have an impact on space-time itself! I don't want to have to worry about putting reality itself back together when this experiment is over!"

The young boy sighs, "I'm sorry Lisa, but this is something I have to do." He looks around for a short moment, "Please, just keep covering for me until I get back, ok?"

Lisa stares at the boy for another moment, "That is going to be extremely difficult. Due to your prolonged period of absence, everyone has begun to grow suspicious. I fear that I must request the aid of our siblings if I am to keep this charade from falling apart."

Great, more of his sisters involved- no doubt Lori will be disgusted the moment she finds out what he is doing in the past. _"I have to make sure reality goes how it's supposed to though…"_ He sighs, "All right then… I know it will probably backfire, but we don't have much of a choice, now do we?"

" _Dear brother… you know how dangerous our sisters can get when they worry for your safety…"_ The young girl sighs in defeat, "Very well… I will inform them of your condition… but only because I am unable to keep our parents at bay until your whereabouts are known."

"Thanks Lisa, you're the best." Lincoln cheers, before the watch feed dies out, leaving Lisa staring at a black screen, _"This foolish endeavor is not going to end well."_

She hops to her feet and makes her way out of the room and over to her eldest sisters'. _"Come on Lisa, you're doing this in order to bring Lincoln back. You have to make sure that at Lori and Leni know…"_

She knocks.

"Who is it?" Lori snaps, no doubt her worry for Lincoln taking hold more than she would like to admit.

"It is Lisa." The young genius responds, "I have come bearing news about Lincoln." The second half of her response is quieter as to prevent her parents from hearing.

Immediately, Lori throws her door open, "You've really got news about Lincoln?!"

Lisa nods, "Yes, but I will not inform you all of his whereabouts until everyone has arrived."

The young woman stares at her little sister for a moment, unsure of whether or not to be confused about the… specificity of the request. Of course, there are reasons why a sister would wait for all of their members to be present before unveiling important information, and yet, Lisa is not one to typically do that.

And yet, despite the suspicion filling her body, Lori shouts, "Meeting! Girls, come to my room!" She then looks down upon her younger sister, "You know what to do."

Lisa nods in response.

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

"Lori, what's going on?!" Lynn shouts, while the rest of their siblings follow suit.

"Yeah! I'm supposed to be getting my beauty sleep!" Lola stomps over to her eldest sister in an attempt to intimidate her… only to find that the young woman does not flinch.

Lori pinches the bridge of her nose, "Lola, there are more important things going on you know!"

A scowl overtakes the young girl's face, "Oh really now?! What's so important that you just had to call a meeting while mom and dad are asleep?!"

"I have information on Lincoln's whereabouts." Lisa speaks up, causing her nine sisters to turn and face her. _"Dangit, I did not expect them to so reactive."_ In the room's surprised silence, the young girl continues, "He is currently stuck in the past."

"What do you mean, stuck in the past?" Luna raises an eyebrow in confusion.

" _It seems I must explain everything…"_ Lisa takes a deep breath, "Very well…" She turns and pulls out her notebook, before scribbling down some random figures, "You see, a few days ago, I decided to create a temporal movement device, a time machine as you would say, in order to see what would happen."

Suddenly, the sisters' eyes begin to go wide in shock, though they don't break the their silence, "Now, I had asked Lincoln to test it… only for him to deny it…" She sighs, " However, he eventually approached me in hopes of finding information about that strange boy whom had visited our home six years ago."

"And so you sent him back in time?" Lucy cuts in, suddenly appearing as she does so.

"Yes." Lisa nods, "My calculations were perfect, so there was no risk of him getting injured."

"Well, like, ok then!" Leni speaks up, her voice filling with joy, "That means that you just have to bring him back, right?" She waves her sister off, "How hard can that be? You sent him back!"

The genius' face goes red in embarrassment, "Well… you see…" She rubs the back of her head, "I was so eager to complete the time travel device that I forgot to create a way to bring him back…"

"Then why don't you just make something that can connect to his time travel thing in the past?" Luan tilts her head, "I mean… yeah there's quantum physics and stuff, but I'm sure-"

Yet, before she can finish, Lisa simply shakes her head, "I am trying, however, due to our parent's worry about our male sibling and my necessity to keep this project under wraps has… proven difficult."

"What do you mean?" Lori raises an eyebrow in curiosity.

Lisa sighs, "Well… in order to buy myself some time, I created a robot that would be able to simulate our male sibling's behavior to the T… only for it to explode after its first interaction with our parents."

"Yikes!" Luan pouts, "That robot must've been the bomb!" before she throws her head back in laughter- much to her sisters' dismay.

"Luan! This isn't the time for jokes!" Lynn grabs her slightly older sister, "Lincoln can be in trouble!"

"Do not worry, I was able to create a device that allows us to talk to him…" She sighs, "But not at the moment…"

"Uhh, why's that?" Luna walks over, "If Lincoln's in the past, that should mean that he shouldn't really be able to do anything too bad… right?"

" _No… I shouldn't tell them just how busy Lincoln has been. No doubt their realization will create a sis-hurricane. And a natural disaster of that magnitude is not what I need to deal with at the moment."_ Lisa sighs, "Yes, but I fear that his intrusion on the timeline may spell doom for all."

In the next moment, the young girls begin to talk amongst themselves, trying desperately to figure out just what the best course of action would be… though Lori already, begrudgingly, knows.

"All right girls, this is what's going to happen." She points at Leni, Lola and Lynn, "I need you two to disguise Lynn as Lincoln for a bit, from a distance, they look just alike enough so that mom and dad won't need to worry." She then motions towards the other girls, "As for the rest of you, I need you to help Lisa and cover for Lincoln the best you can." Finally she turns to her genius sister, "And Lisa…"

"Yes?" The young girl responds.

"Bring him home."

And with that, the girls get to work hiding the truth.

12-9-14-3-2-15-20 23-1-19 20-8-5-14 6-15-21-14-4 20-18-1-19-8-5-4 20-8-5 14-5-24-20 4-1-25!

 **A/N It looks Lincoln is having a fun time in the past while Lisa needs help keeping the future together! I wonder how this'll play out!**

 **Anyways, due to the ridiculous amount of tests I had this week, I had to push UB's next update to next week. But don't worry, it's in the works and will be my main focus from now on, since FAL's final chapter will be posted later today!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **gamelover41592: NaNoWriMo encourages quantity over quality. Remember, writing a 50k story is hard work, so in order to reach the goal, you just have to write whatever comes to mind and not care about the quality until after the month is over. (Though, I make sure that it at least makes sense before I post).**

 **364wii: Yep! Time Loops are never perfect!**

 **Finnjr63: Thanks!**

 **celrock: That will be coming next chapter! Thanks!**

 **TheLivingMyth: I live in NYC, I think you should be able to find me with that.**

 **DreadedCandiru2: Who knows? Maybe, maybe not.**


	12. A Trip To The Movies

**A/N Man, I feel like I'm starting to burn myself out, then again, I just wrote 3 chapters in a single day. I hope you enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 12: A Trip To The Movies

" _All right Lincoln, everything is gonna be all right. You're just gonna go on a date with your beautiful big sister who doesn't know she's your big sister."_ He sighs, continuing to pace around the front of the building as he does so, " _I just gotta make sure that this goes as horribly as possible. That way she'll never wanna hand out with me again! And then Bobby can come in and swoop her off her feet!"_

The young boy sighs, _"…Why does it hurt so much? I know that I'm just following the rabbit hole. I know that I can't stay with Lori!"_ He begins to pace faster, _"Whatever… I just-"_

Thankfully, a certain young girl walking over and greeting him, breaks the young boy from his trance, "Hey Lincoln!"

"Huh?" The young boy turns to her, "Oh, hey Lori!" He motions towards the nearby theater, "You ready for tonight?"

"Yeah!" Lori excitedly steps next to the boy, allowing him to wrap his arm around her back, "So, what movie are we gonna see?"

Now, Lincoln knows his sisters- extremely well he would add- and if there is something Lori can't tolerate, it's a movie that has no reason to exist, and what better candidate than a certain movie about a certain orange cat?!

"We're gonna watch the Puss In Boots movie!" Lincoln declares, bringing the young girl into the theater as he does so.

"Uhh, Puss in Boots?" Lori rubs the back of her head, "Are you sure? I mean… Shrek and all that stuff is kinda… overdone you know."

" _Good, she already hates the idea."_ The young boy simply waves her off, "Don't worry. Come on! Just because DreamWorks is continuously milking their cash cow doesn't mean that the movie isn't gonna be good! I mean, Marvel is doing it and look at how far they've gotten!"

For a moment, Lori considers arguing with his reasoning, and yet, simply finds herself shrugging, "All right then, fine… I'll give it a chance."

The young boy smiles, "Great!" Before guiding her over to the ticket booth, _"First, I gotta make her pay for the movie and then-"_ Yet, in his thought, he doesn't notice a man bump into him, causing his wallet to fall to the floor.

"My apologies." He quickly goes, before running off.

Lincoln quickly turns around to look for him, "That was weird…"

"Agreed." Lori responds, before squatting down and grabbing the wallet off the floor, "Oh hey, he left this behind!" She hands the small pouch to her companion, "We have to return it!"

He quickly grabs it from her, "Agreed." Before he turns and shouts, "Sir! You dropped your wallet!"

Immediately, the man stops and turns to face him, "Oh, why thank you young man!" His voice is muffled, almost as if he is trying to hide what it really sounds like.

"No problem. My parents always taught me that if you find something someone lost, you have to return it, because wouldn't you want your stuff back if you lost it?" He holds up his arm to return it.

"That is quite the lesson young one." He opens the pouch, "For your honesty, I'll pay for you and your little friend's movie for the night, popcorn included!"

Lincoln's eyes go wide, _"I can't let Lori realize what I'm doing…"_ And so, he speaks with a surprised tone, "R-really?! That's amazing! Thank you so much!"

"No problem." The man holds his hand up, while using the other to motion for Lori to come over.

"So, what's the deal?" The young girl tilts her head in confusion.

"Simple, I will pay for your date, if that is what it is of course." He smiles, before motioning towards the nearby food counter, "Feel free to buy some snacks, here." He proceeds to hand the duo a fifty.

"A-are you sure?" Lincoln goes in both suspicion and surprise, "Are you sure you don't want anything for all this stuff?"

The man waves him off, "You have saved me the trouble of having to find new copies of the documents held within this wallet, the least I can do is make sure that you at least have the chance to make tonight as memorable as possible." He then steps aside, "Now then, I will get your tickets, please, what movie would you like to see?"

"Well… we were planning on going to see Puss in Boots…" Lincoln awkwardly rubs the back of his head, now unsure if that is the best of choices.

The man rubs his chin, "I see." He then places a soft hand on the young boy's shoulder, "Then I suppose that works out nicely. Go get your popcorn and I will get you the tickets." And with that, he simply walks away, leaving the duo to go get their snacks.

"Wow… that was really nice of him." Lori quips, walking onto the line as she does so, "I mean, yeah, I know that you returned his stuff, but I didn't expect that he'd do that!"

" _Neither did I…"_ Lincoln shrugs, "What can I say, I guess people just want us to have fun or something!"

Lori chuckles, "Heh yeah…" She smiles at her partner, _"He's awesome, and from the looks of it, everyone wants us to be together…"_

 **A Few Minutes Later…**

" _All right, leaving a bad impression with the tickets is out of the question apparently, so instead I guess I'm just gonna need to move onto plan B."_ He looks at the small array of snacks in his hands, _"I gotta ruin her shirt… I just hope that she doesn't literally kill me."_ He gulps, before glancing up at the young girl. She walks ever so slightly ahead, her arms free from having to carry their meal.

"Here we are!" Lori declares, before the duo steps into the theater and wastes no time finding their seats, "All right, we just gotta get through the previews and everything is gonna be all right!"

" _All right Lincoln, just trip and everything will be fine."_ He mentally takes the next moment to calm himself, before stepping forward, "Hey Lori, I-" yet, before he finishes, he pretends to accidently trip.

And yet, before the food can even leave his hands to fall on the young girl, a hand grabs his shirt, stopping the fall, "Haha! That was a close one! You almost wasted all those snacks! You know how expensive movie theaters can be, don't you!"

Lincoln immediately turns to the source- the same hooded man. "Y-yeah, thanks so much for the save!"

"No problem." The man rubs the boy's head, before turning around, "Go have fun now! The previews will be over soon and you don't wanna miss those, do you?"

The young boy shakes his head, "Nope! Thanks for everything!"

The man waves his hand, "It is not issue, go have fun and make sure to leave a great impression!"

"Will do!" Lincoln raises a thumb to signal that understands exactly what the man means… though much to his dismay, this is exactly the opposite of what he wanted, _"Dangit… dangit, dangit, dangit!"_ He mentally sighs in defeat, _"Well this is just great… plans A and B just failed miserably… now I guess I'm gonna watch a movie with her. I just hope that Lori hates this movie so much that she decides that my taste in it all is just so horrible that there's no reason to keep going out with me… I hope she sees that at least…"_

With that, Lori leans forward and grabs a bunch of popcorn, readying herself for what is to come.

Lincoln sits down carefully, allowing the young girl to wrap her arm around him, hopefully she would be able to go to him for help in case she got scared, though given DreamWorks' track record when it comes to scary movies, they both doubt that it would be necessary.

The young boy looks into the young girl's soft blue eyes, while she had hers focused on the screen. _"I wish I didn't have to break her heart to keep the timeline in check…"_ He shakes his head, _"Dangit… why does this hurt some much?! Why am I glad that guy kept stopping me?!"_

Suddenly, he finds his attention focused on that hooded man, _"Now that I think of it, who was that guy?"_

"It's starting!" Lori shouts, excitement filling her voice, "I hope this is good Lincoln!"

 _ **90 Minutes Later…**_

"Woo-hoo!" Lori cheers as she throws her hands up in excitement, "I don't know why I thought I'd hate that movie! It was flippin' awesome!"

"Heh, yeah." Lincoln chuckles, "Especially the part where they stole the golden egg-laying chicken! Man, was that awesome."

The young girl then turns to her companion, "Plus, the revelation that Puss was an orphan?! Man! I can't believe the fanfic writers didn't come up with that!"

The boy takes a handful of the leftover popcorn and throws it in his mouth, "Heh yeah, though remember, something like a character is orphaned and has a new family does seem like something that would happen in a fanfiction."

"Heh, well I don't blame you." She begins to rub her face and blush, "Thanks for taking me here by the way… I… I had more fun than I thought I would."

" _Welp, Operation: Get Her To Hate Me Enough To Break Up With Me has just failed so hard that I don't even think there's a word to describe how badly it's failed."_ Lincoln's face begins to go red in embarrassment. "So, Lori, I guess I can say you had a fun time."

The young girl nods, before turning to the boy, moving her hand over to his as she does so, "Yeah, you can say that."

"Great." Lincoln smiles, wrapping his hand in hers as he does so, "So uhh… I guess this is goodbye for the night, huh?"

Lori nods, "Yeah, for now, though how about… we have another date, on the weekend so we won't have to worry about school."

"Sounds good to me." Lincoln chuckles, _"Welp I just dun goofed so hard…"_ He mentally kicks himself again, _"I was supposed to mess this whole thing up!"_

The young girl then wraps her arms around Lincoln and places a soft kiss upon his lips. For a moment, Lincoln considers breaking it up- after all, this is his sister he's kissing! And yet, he finds himself wrapping his free arm around her as well, simply deepening the embrace.

And after a short moment, they break up the embrace, looking longingly into each other's eyes as they do so.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" Lincoln tilts his head in curiosity.

The young girl simply shakes her head, "No thanks, I don't want you… dead…" She chuckles, "Man, my dad's sense of humor is rubbing off on me."

"All right hen." Lincoln leads the young girl out, "Goodnight Lori!"

"Goodnight Michael!" And with that, she runs off into the night.

19-20-21-4-9-5-19 19-8-15-23 20-8-1-20 13-5-14 11-14-15-23 20-8-5-25 1-18-5 9-14 12-15-22-5 1-6-20-5-18 20-8-5 19-5-3-15-14-4 4-1-20-5

 **A/N Finally! I'm getting back in the game after those tests! Plus, great news! Finding A Loud is finally complete! I hope you enjoyed!**

 **In other news, Unwavering Bonds will be updated next week.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **DreadedCandiru2: Yes, very much so.**

 **celrock: Yep! Sometimes things from the show come in handy to keep things sane!**

 **Finnjr63: Thanks!**


	13. A Broken Promise

**A/N Welcome to day 13. Wow, one more day and I would have been at this challenge for two weeks! I can't wait!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 13: A Broken Promise

"You did what?!" Lisa slams her hands against her desk in frustration, "She's our older sister Lincoln! You know what she likes and hates, why is it so hard for you to get her to hate you?!"

Lincoln sighs in defeat, "I don't know Lisa, I just don't know." He shakes his head, "I did my best to get her to want nothing to do with me, but it seemed like no matter what I did, nothing would work!"

"Please explain, dear sibling. I want to know why a task so seemingly simple has become so insurmountably difficult." Lisa takes a deep breath as well, before she hops to her feet and begins to stretch. "Maybe then we will be able to find a solution to it together."

The boy thinks for a moment. For some strange reason, the events of the last night are nothing more than a blur. After all, first he tried to get Lori to pay for the movie… only for a man to give him the money… then he tried to ruin her clothes and the movie by dropping snacks on her clothes… only for the same man to grab him before he could do so. Without any other options, he tried to get her to watch movie he was sure she would hate… only for her to thank him for the night!

"I don't know Lisa, I just don't know." He shakes his head again, "It's almost like the universe wants me to go out with her…"

"Pish posh." The genius waves him off, "The universe wants order and stability. You going back in time and dating your sister is the antithesis of stability! It's a relationship that will literally not be able to work out in the end and involves two people from differing time periods."

" _I know."_ The boy simply nods In understanding, "Yeah, yeah… I know, but I have to see this through to the end, ok?" He then taps the watch, ending the call, "See you Lisa."

"Very well, older sibling." And with that, the call ends, leaving Lincoln alone to walk along the familiar street. Surprisingly enough, the street is nice and smooth- unlike how it looks in the future. Lincoln can feel the autumn scents flowing in his nostrils, while the soft afternoon sunlight falls carefully down upon his white hair.

For a moment, it stops to take in the sight, _"To think, all of this is… just going in the future… I'm surprised that no one really bothered to make sure that everything stays as beautiful as it is now…"_

With that, he takes one final look upon the rather beautiful block, before continuing onward. His destination: A small house near the outskirts of the Royal Woods Suburbs, the home of a certain Latino boy and his little sister.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"This is going quite fine and dandy." The young girl begins to pace around her room, desperate to get a handle on the situation at hand.

"Lisa, did you finish talking to Lincoln?" Lori sticks her head in the room, a look of confusion filling her expression.

Lisa nods, "Affirmative, I was able to make contact with him once more. However…" She begins to rub the back of her head, "Things are not turning out as well as I had hoped for him."

Immediately, the young woman rushes into the room and grabs her little sister, "What are you talking about?! What's going on with him?!"

" _It seems our typically level-headed sibling is wrought with worry."_ The young scientist wastes no time adjusting her glasses, "No elder sibling, "Currently, his condition is nominal. There is nothing to worry about as of this moment."

She drops her sister and wipes the worried sweat forming on her brow, "Phew, that's a relief." She then turns around, "Anyways, Lynn's now the spitting image of Lincoln, she should be able to buy you enough time to bring him home ok?"

" _Yes, that means that I do not have to worry anymore."_ She nods, "Splendid, that means I must get to work on the device as soon as I can!" She then walks over to her workbench, allowing Lori to walk out of her room… but not before the scientist turns and asks, "Hold on, Lori, I have a question for you."

The young woman turns to her sister in confusion, "Uhh, what is it?"

"If I may ask, what is your favorite movie?" She pulls out her clipboard and a pencil, "I'm working on a study and your input may help me get what I need."

While suspicious, she simply shrugs, "I mean, if it helps you get Lincoln back…" she rubs her arm in embarrassment, "As much as I like to say I hate how some companies just milk the only franchises that they have… I'll admit, I like the Puss In Boots movie."

Lisa raises and eyebrow in curiosity, "Are you sure? I've never seen you watch it…"

"That's because I only watch it with Bobby on date nights." She allows her eyes to wander for a moment, while the familiar feelings of her first real date with a certain white-haired boy fill her mind. Despite how crazy her home back then was, she found herself clinging to her partner every time something big happened or when she found herself enthralled by the sight… while the boy simply froze up, seemingly unable to comprehend how it all seemed so surreal. "Heh, it was the first movie I watched with someone and though I've watched it so many times, I find myself still enjoying it as if I have never watched it before.

" _Well then… I believe I need a moment to think this through…"_ Lisa lets her mind wander for a moment, before she motions for Lori to leave, "Thank you, elder sister. I ask that you now go and make sure that our mother and father believe that Lynn is Lincoln for the time being. Make sure to come up with an excuse for why he has been absent for the past… four days I believe."

"I know Lisa, it's not the first time I've had to cover for you guys." Lori chuckles, before walking out of the room, leaving Lisa alone to continue her work.

The young scientist hesitates for a moment, _"It seems that no matter what Lincoln does, time remains stable… it is almost as if he was meant to go back in time and guarantee the union of Bobby and Lori…"_ She stops and looks out the window. Now, Lisa loves to mention how she loves being inside her lab, though in that moment she finds herself simply sighing. She hates having to do science under pressure! It never turns out well.

" _However, if Lori is correct, this must mean that Lincoln finds a way to come back eventually…"_ she stares at the wild blue yonder above, _"This means that…"_ Her eyes begin to go wide in the realization, _"Lincoln physically can't change the past! Because_ _everything that has happened and has yet to happen, has happened before! All we have to do is preserve the past, and most of this has already been taken into account."_ She rubs her chin, _"So then, what's the point in doing anything then? I could sit around all day eating candy and watching Blarney and it won't stop Lori from hooking up with… wait…"_ She facepalms, _"I still need_ _to get Lincoln home, no one knows what happened to 'Michael' after the dance. Lincoln could be trapped in the past! And then, when the past becomes the present, there could be a seventeen-year-old Lincoln waking around estranged from his family until his younger self disappears!"_ She sighs once more, and gets back to work, _"When this is all over, I will be investing a_ _ **lot**_ _more time into horology and relativity research._

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"All right then, here we go." Lincoln knocks on the home's front door, allowing a certain young boy to answer the door. "Hey Bobby."

"Lincoln! Just the guy I was looking for." He steps aside and motions for him to enter, "We don't have the living room to ourselves, so we'll have to talk in my room, ok?"

The white-haired boy raises an eyebrow in confusion, "Uhh… why don't we have the living room?" before he follows the prompting and steps into the room.

"Simple." The Latino boy motions towards a young girl simply watching TV on the couch and whispers "My little sister is here for the day and I don't really want her hearing about my love life just yet, ok?"

Lincoln shrugs in understanding, "All right, lead the way."

"Great." Bobby smiles, before turning and heading up the stairs. And within a few moments, the duo stands in the Latino boy's room, simply taking the moment to talk.

" _Man, even back before they moved away, I was never in his room before…"_ Lincoln takes a moment to take in the scene. Bobby's room is a mess, with clothes and random trinkets of all shapes and sizes strewn about. Thankfully, the young boy had made sure to keep the place smelling decently, while also keeping the blinds upon to allow light to enter. Nothing else really stands out to him… besides a flier hanging on his door.

"Huh, the Sadie Hawkins dance is coming up?" he holds the flier in curiosity. "I didn't know."

"Yeah, it's the perfect place to take the girl of your dreams." He smiles, before hopping on his bed, "So, Michael, did you, you know, break up with Lori last night?"

" _I was hoping he wouldn't get straight to the point."_ Lincoln hesitates his answer, "Well… the date went well and stuff…"

The Latino boy raises his eyebrow in curiosity, "So?"

" _I am not going to get out of this any time soon."_ He takes a deep breath, "Look, Bobby, I did my best to make the date as horrible as it could be, but…" he rubs the back of his head, unable to look his companion in the eyes, "I just couldn't get Lori to hate me."

For a moment, silence overtakes the room, with both boys seemingly unable to respond to the news.

And yet, once it passes, Bobby is the one to break the silence with, "Heh, I should've seen this coming." He chuckles, "You like her too, don't you!"

Lincoln's eyes go wide, while he holds up his hands defensively, "W-what?! No! I don't!"

Anger begins to fill Bobby's eyes, "I knew it. I should've called it." He shakes his head in disappointment, "You like Lori so much that you managed to date her twice and convinced her to go on another one, didn't you?"

"Yes…." Lincoln's voice trails off. "B-but I tried everything!" He flares his arms, trying to emphasize his point, "I took her to a movie I thought she'd hate, I tried to get her to pay for everything and ruin her shirt! And it all failed!" He calms down and rubs his arm in embarrassment, _"It's like those times in the movies where the only time you can't fail is when you're actually trying to fail…"_

"Yeah, that's what they all say." Bobby crosses his arms, while allowing his initial anger to dissipate, "That's why you stuck around even though she hated you, right?"

"I… I wanted to make sure she was happy." He can't look even Bobby in the eyes while he looks away in shame. "I'm surprised she accepted…"

"You're a horrible liar." He shakes his head, "Get out."

Unwilling to cause a bigger mess than he had, he simply sighs and turns to leave. And when he's gone, Bobby turns and drops on his bed, crying into his pillow as he does so.

* * *

"Dangit…"Lincoln mutters while walking into the living room, _"I messed up…"_

"Hey there!" A small voice greets, causing the white-haired boy to turn to the source.

"I'm Ronnie Anne!" The young girl continues, "What's your name?"

"I'm Michael." He responds, _"Heh, Ronnie Anne was cute back then. She'd kill me if I called her that."_

"How's my brother doing?" She grabs onto the boy, worry filling her voice, "He's usually so close to me, but he's been so sad lately!"

Lincoln places a soft hand upon the girl's shoulder, "Don't worry Ronnie Anne, your brother is just sad because he likes a girl and is having problems getting her to notice him. It's nothing."

"Oh…" The young girl pouts, before immediately perking up, "I know! I'm gonna go make him irresistible! That way all the girls will wanna be with him!" She then turns and bolts upstairs, leaving Lincoln alone in the living room.

With a soft sigh, he steps out of the home. His mind begins to race with countless ideas, _"I need to get Bobby and Lori together, but how?"_ Suddenly an idea comes to mind, _"Wait… maybe Ronnie Anne is onto something! I have to make Bobby so irresistible that even Lori won't be able to ignore him!"_

25-15-21 11-14-15-23 9-20 9-19 20-9-13-5 20-15 7-9-22-5 13-25 12-15-22-5 1 6-15-21-18 12-5-20-20-5-18 14-1-13-5!

 **A/N Man, I have no idea how I'm getting this far, but that I just am. I thank Wolvenstrom for his help!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Wolvenstrom: That is one of the most memorable reviews I've received, thanks!**

 **That Engineer: Well the date worked out so… yeah, there's that.**

 **gamelover41592: Probably not well. I mean, she would now realize that she was in an incestuous relationship with her little brother.**

 **Stall Wait: Thanks for the support! I love trying to make sure that there's always something to do, before moving on. As for the time connection, I like to think of it more like, Quantum Leap, where they're both in real time.**

 **Bouken Dutch: Thanks! Your review inspired the beginning lines!**

 **364wii: Then he'll probably hate himself. Remember man, easy isn't always good to read!**

 **DreadedCandiru2: Funnily enough, I've had Lincoln meet fate before. Fate's a chill guy.**

 **TheLivingMyth: Sometimes things are just confusion for everyone involved!**

 **Finnjr63: Thanks!**

 **Zoinks81: I wonder who you think it is!**

 **rctperson85: Thanks for the advice mate! Since I'm writing this story so quickly I haven't really been paying attention to details, thanks for pointing this out! And, I'd love to hear who you think that person is! Thanks!**


	14. New Day, New Plan

**A/N Man, I'm 2 weeks in, that's pretty awesome!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 14: New Day, New Plan

" _Al right, I just have to convince Bobby that I wanna help him out and then I gotta make sure that he knows that I'm his friend."_ Lincoln takes a deep breath, _"No biggie, he's had the whole night to think about it…"_

*Ring* the watch goes, signaling that Lisa wanted to talk to him once more. _"I wonder what she wants…"_ He holds up his arm, "Yeah?"

"How are things going on your end?" The Lisa looks back at Lynn- the young girl, now wearing a white wig and dressed up as Lincoln himself, "I do not believe that Lynn will prove to be a suitable replacement for you for the time being."

"Things aren't doing so hot here either." Lincoln sighs in defeat, "Bobby absolutely hates me and I don't think I'll be able to get him and Lori together!"

"What's?!" The young scientist grabs the sides of her monitor, seemingly trying to emphasize her point, "Lincoln! Do you not know how important this relationship is to keeping the fabric of space-time stable?!"

For a moment, Lincoln hesitates, yeah, he knows that Bobby and Lori would be together in the future- after all, the latter wouldn't let them hear the end of it! And yet, when finally asked if he truly knew if getting them together would be important… he just doesn't know how to respond.

He sighs, "Look, Lisa, all I know is that, here, Bobby doesn't have the guts to talk to Lori, let alone start a relationship with her." He looks into the scientist's eyes with a begging gaze, "Please, I need you to buy me as much time as possible and get that reverse switch, thing, done!" He then hesitates, "And I need all the girl advice you can send me, I need to make Bobby irritable."

Lisa pauses for a moment- unsure of how to take the latter request, before she looks back at her sisters. At this point, Leni is doing her best to hide Lynn's ponytail though given its size, this proves to be a fruitless endeavor, "Very well, I will see what I will be able to do. Good luck brother. And please, do not mess with the past any further, I wish not to have a time paradox occur."

"No promises." Lincoln sighs, before the call cuts out, leaving Lincoln alone. _"All right then, I have to get Bobby to give me another chance, and once I get that chance, then I'll be able to make it so Lori will willfully leave me and go out with him instead."_ With that thought, he turns and bolts into the school, leaving the softness of the near-afternoon in his wake.

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

"Ok Lincoln, you've been here before. Last time, you decided to talk to Lori about the date, this time you're gonna talk to Bobby about him getting Lori." He slowly pushes the door, allowing him to glance inside.

From his vantage point, he can see the typical chaos of Royal Woods Elementary lunch period- with foods of all shapes and sizes strewn about the floor and the students that are supposed to be eating them, simply screaming while they ran around.

" _Some things just never change."_ Lincoln glances around for a moment, _"Now where is he…"_ Slowly, he moves his gaze from table to table, in hopes that he would be able to spot a certain blonde-haired girl and Latino boy. _"Jackpot."_ Within seconds his eyes fall upon the latter- simply sitting at the infamous 'sticky table' while also drowning his sorrows in lunch, _"Now I just have to-"_

"Hey!" A small voice cried out, "There you are!"

" _What the-"_ Lincoln tries to turn to face the source, only for a fist to fly into his gut. "Oof!" He doubles down in pain for a moment, trying desperately to find his assailant, only for a knee to rush into his face. Thankfully said appendage is small enough to leave a lasting mark… not that that numbs the pain.

"Ugh, what's that for?!" He holds his aching body.

"That was for making my brother cry!" The assailant counters, "I'm gonna make you pay!"

" _Since when could Ronnie Anne hit this hard?!"_ His mind begins to race, _"She's only, like five here!"_ His eyes go wide, before the young girl tries to send another punch, _"I hope Ronnie Anne hasn't changed her attacks that much!"_

In response, Lincoln holds out his hand to catch the assault, and much to his relief, Ronnie Anne's fist lands straight for the mark, "Hold on!"

"No!" She tries to throw another punch, only for the boy to catch it without hesitation.

"Ronnie Anne, please! I need you to listen for a second!" The boy's voice fills with desperation, only for the girl to try to throw some kicks at the boy… though these prove to be fruitless as well.

"Grr, I'm gonna make you pay!" She spits out.

" _Stay calm Lincoln, she's just angry that you broke Bobby's heart."_ The boy takes a deep breath, "Ronnie Anne, calm down, I wanna help you brother be happy."

The young girl loosens up for a moment, before steeling herself once more, "Yeah, right!" She breaks free of his grip and tries to roundhouse kick him, "I want you to pay for-"

"I'm sorry Ronnie Anne! I didn't want to hurt him!" He dodges her attack and steps away, "I was trying to get him and Lori together, only for things to go too well!"

"Please." She waves him off, "Actions speak louder than words, and from what you've done, why should I believe you?!"

" _Come on Lincoln, think! This is Ronnie Anne we're talking about!"_ His mind begins to race, trying desperately to find a time when she would be willing to work with him, and yet, he finds nothing. Despite all the time they had spent together, Ronnie Anne just isn't one to compromise on what she wants… unless…

The boy takes a deep, defeated breath, "Ronnie Anne, if you help me get your brother and Lori together, then your brother will be happy."

"And what'll happen if he stays sad?!" Ronnie Anne crosses her arms.

"Than I'll let you beat me up in front of the whole class." The boy counters, eliciting a devious smile from the young girl.

"Hmm, that could be payback for making my brother sad and cry." She chuckles.

Lincoln offers his hand to her, "So do we have a deal?"

For a moment, Ronnie Anne thinks the deal through- the ability to make her brother happy, and if it doesn't work, the chance to make the person who made him so hurt, is just too good to pass up! And so, she takes his hand in her own and shakes it, "You've got yourself a deal."

" _This is a horrible deal."_ He mentally sighs, _"But to make sure that Bobby and Lori get together, then it looks like I have no choice."_ With that, he turns and glances back into the room, "All right, Ronnie Anne, I need you to talk to your brother for a second."

The young girl steps under the boy, glancing into the room as well, "All right, about what?"

"I need you to bring him over here, while I get all the help I can to make him irresistible." The boy looks into the young girl's eyes, "Can you do that?"

"You wanna make him irresistible too?" The young girl tilts her head in confusion.

"Yeah. I tried getting Lori to hate me so he would be able to get the chance to ask her out." He rubs the back of his head, "But that failed horribly, so now I've asked my sisters for all the advice I could get." He then calms himself down, "So, if she won't hate me, I have to make Bobby seem so awesome that I pale in comparison.

The young girl rubs her chin, "I like the way you think." She turns around and steps into the lunchroom, "Let's do it."

And with that, she disappears into the nearby crowd, allowing Lincoln to catch his breath, _"Phew, I now have Ronnie Anne helping me. That's a relief."_ He then takes a deep breath, _"I just hope that it was worth it."_ And with that, he holds up his watch and makes another call.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"All right Lynn, you're ready!" Leni declares, before holding a mirror up to her little sister, allowing her to finally see the results of the plan.

"Gimmie that!" Lynn snatches the tool, "Let's see what they whole time travel thing's made you guys do to me." And for the next moment, all she can do is stare at what she sees. Thanks to Leni's work, the young athlete is now the spitting image of her only brother. If anything, the only thing that one could use to tell them apart is Lincoln's signifies cowlick, which Leni, sadly, doesn't know how to reproduce.

"Hmm..." Lynn rubs her chin in interest, "All right Leni, I'll admit, this looks nice."

"Great!" The young woman grabs her younger sister's arm, "Now we just gotta use you to fool mom and dad!"

Lynn's eyes go wide in surprise, "Wait, Leni!"

Yet, before she knows it, her older sister pulls her downstairs to confront their parents.

 _"I hope all the training Lincoln gave me in mimicry voices paid off."_ Lynn awkwardly holds her hand up at her side, seemingly trying to defuse the situation. "Hey mom and dad."

For a moment, her parents- Rita and Lynn Sr.- simply stand above her, their arms crossed and their anger apparent on their faces.

"Where have you been young man?!" Lynn Sr.'s words fill with venom, "We've been worried sick!"

"I've been with Clyde... and just hanging out." She rubs the back of her head, "You know, just staying out since it's summer..."

Rita punches the bridge of her nose. "Just because it's summer, doesn't mean that it's a good idea to stay out of the house for days on end without telling us!" She loosens up allowing her to look into her 'son's' eyes, "Don't you know what could've happened?!"

Lynn rubs the back of her head, "I'm sorry... I didn't wanna worry you..."

Lynn Sr. Begins to loosen up and sighs, "Son, we care about you, that's why we want to know where you are."

"I know..." Lynn measly responds.

"Now, upstairs." Rita commands, "Your father and I have to talk about your punishment."

Without another word, Lynn simply nods, before heading upstairs, and promptly walking into Lisa's room, leaving the parents to turn to each other.

"That was Lynn, right?" The man asks, eliciting a nod from his wife.

"Yes, this can only mean one thing." The woman shakes her head.

"Something is going on." The man finishes.

* * *

"All right, Lincoln is gonna be grounded, but at least mom and dad aren't worried anymore!" Lynn stretches as she walks into the room.

Lisa takes a deep breath, "Good, at least that's some good news."

"Why do you say that?" The athlete tilts her head in confusion.

"Lincoln just asked for all of the girl advice we could get." She shakes her head, "I have a bad feeling about this...

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

"Come on Bobby, I promise it'll work!" Lincoln holds his hand out, trying to emphasize his point.

"Yeah, that's what you said about the supposed-to-be failure of a date." The Latino boy crosses his arms, while anger begins to fill his body.

"I know, I know." He holds his arms out, trying to calm him down, "That's why I've decided to change tactics."

"Oh?" The boy raises an eyebrow, "Are you going to outright break up with her and let me ask her out?"

 _"While that would make life easier, I don't want Lori to have a broken heart."_ He shakes his head, "No, I've asked all of my sisters for their advice on what girls like." He holds up a small list, "I've decided that if I can't get Lori to hate me, then I'll just have to make you so irresistible that she'll break up with me and go after you instead!"

Bobby responds by simply staring at him, seemingly unwilling to listen any further.

20-8-9-19 9-19 16-18-15-2-1-2-12-25 7-15-9-14-7 20-15 5-14-4 23-9-20-8 2-15-2-2-25 7-15-9-14-7 15-21-20 23-9-20-8 3-1-18-15-12

 **A/N So how was that?! I hope you guys enjoyed! I thank Wolvenstrom for his help!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **364wii: That will probably happen! But who's heart will be broken is still up in the air!**

 **DreadedCandiru2: The doctor would probably try to fix things… only to screw everything up worse!**

 **Zoinks81: Oh, that's what happened this chapter! Heh that'll be fun to think about. By the way, I'd love to hear who you think it is!**

 **gamelover41592: Well, now she is, so yeah!**

 **BoukenDutch: Yep! How to fail at failing!**

 **TheLivingMyth: Maybe you do know, maybe you don't. You won't know until it write it! Thanks! I'd say go find a bun bun doll!**

 **Finnjr63: Who knows?! Thanks!**


	15. Trying Something New

**A/N "We're halfway there, and looking back now, nothing's gonna get in the way!" ~"Halfway There" by Big Time Rush.**

 **Heh anyways, as the quote suggests, I'm halfway through NaNoWriMo! Today is Day 15! More god news: thanks to all of your support, this story has hit a milestone: 100 reviews! Thanks everyone!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 15: Trying Something New

"I literally can't believe how well it all went!" Lori speaks with an amazed tone.

"Heh, what can I say?" Lincoln shrugs, before leaning back in his chair, "I make good impressions."

"I mean, yeah, my dad was there…" she turns to the boy with an awkward expression, "Sorry about that, by the way."

Lincoln simply waves her off, "Don't worry about it, I completely understand!"

Unlike the previous days, Lincoln is sitting at the same table Lori and her friends do, since the young girl wanted to have her be boyfriend meet her long-time friends.

"I'm surprised, Lori." Carol can't help, but chuckle at the sight, "Isn't that the same boy you said creeped you out a few days ago?"

Lori rubs the back of her head in embarrassment, "Yeah..." before stealing her nerves and looking her friend in the eyes, "But hey, he apologized and seemed determined to go on a date with me, so I said yes." She looks from side to side, before leaning in close to her friend, making sure to hold her hand over their mouths so Lincoln would not be able to hear, "And if it didn't go well, I'd never have to go on a date with him again."

Carol nods in understanding, before leaning back and grabbing hold of her lunch, "Heh, well then, I'm happy for you two!"

"Thanks Carol." Lori turns and wraps her arms around Lincoln, "So, where do you wanna go for our third date? I'm sure it'll be fun!"

"I'm not sure." Lincoln chooses not to reciprocate the affection, _"I don't wanna get PDA'ed then thrown out for not being a student, right?"_ though he can't help, but long for the chance to wrap around her as well, _"Where the heck is Bobby?!"_

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

"I don't know if this is a good idea Nie Nie!" Bobby tries desperately to fight his little sister's incessant last minute fiddling with the clothes they were able to get him.

"Come on Bobby! This is for your own good!" Unlike how she is with most people, Ronnie Anne's voice is soft- as if she is only prodding her brother to act, rather than command him.

A few more moments of resistance pass with that, before the young boy and girl finally finish their task, allowing Bobby to turn around and face the door, "All right, here we go."

"Go get her big bro!" Ronnie Anne holds up a thumb in approval. And with that, Bobby steps into the lunchroom.

As soon as he does so, a hush falls upon the crowd, with most speechless at the sight.

Unlike his usually messy self, his hair is now combed back, creating a soft circle, while his worn jacket, shirt and pants had been replaced by a new white T-shirt, which he had neatly tucked into his blue jeans- though given their inability to hem it in time it had to be rolled up at the bottom- with a green, plaid over shirt completing the look.

Now, Lincoln remembers when his tutor came over, how his sisters started to go bonkers at the mere sight of him. He remembers how frustrated he felt- given the circumstances. And yet, in this moment, when the surprised, "Buh, buh, buh." Begins to echo through the hall, a wave of relief begins to overtake the boy.

 _"I can't believe it worked!"_ Lincoln's mind begins to race, while thoughts begin to overtake him like wildfire, " _Now I just need to get Lori to see him!"_ and so he pushes her off, "Uhh, what's going on."

Without a word, Bobby simply walks over to the table and takes a seat, and for some reason, no one is able to say a single word about it.

"Hey Bobby." Lincoln chuckles, "What's going on?"

"Nothing much." The boy shrugs, before leaning back in his chair, _"I just gotta play it cool, you can do this, you can do this."_

"Heh, looks like you're the popular one right now." Lori quips, seemingly unaffected by Bobby's current swagger.

 _"What's going on?!"_ Lincoln thinks in surprise, while his heart races to match the pace of his thoughts.

"Heh it looks like I am." Bobby chuckles, before grabbing his water bottle and taking a sip.

"Any special reason you're sittin' with us today?" Lincoln asks, not noticing his arm beginning to wrap around Lori's waist, seemingly trying to protect her from the new challenger.

"Oh nothing really." Bobby does his best to put on a nonchalant tone, "I just wanted to know if Lori Loud here, would do me the honor of going out on a date with me."

 _"Come on Lori, just say yes and it'll be mission accomplished!"_ the white-haired boy does his best to fight the gnawing pain building from the bottom of his chest.

"No." The young girl waves him off, "I've got a boyfriend." She then turns and begins to nuzzle Lincoln, "And we're planning on going on another date.

Suddenly, the realization begins to hit him. The reason why Bobby's attempt to reel her in failed is because she is just that devoted of a girlfriend! That's why she rushes to the city when Bobby plans to move away just six years in the future!

 _"Michael's plan failed..."_ Bobby's heart breaks once again.

Immediately, another arm grabs onto this- this one belonging to a similar blonde-haired girl, "If you don't mind, I'd love to go on a date with you!"

"I-I don't-" Bobby stammers, unsure of just how to take the sudden revelation.

"Come on!" Carol prods the young boy, smiling wildly at him as she does so, "Lori's taken, but I'm single!" She then steps back and poses, "Plus, everyone's always arguing who has the better looks."

"I can't argue that." Lori chuckles, before whispering at Lincoln, "I literally have the better looks."

 _"Yeah, you do."_ Lincoln smiles at the thought, Doug his best to fight the horror building up in his body.

"But..." Bobby awkwardly rubs the back of his head, seemingly unsure of just how to continue the argument.

Thankfully, his companion has other ideas.

"How about a double date?" Lincoln suggests, eliciting the attention of the trio.

"Why Michael?" Lori tilts her head in confusion.

 _"To give Bobby the chance to spend time with you."_ Lincoln shrugs, "I mean, you're taken and Bobby here doesn't seem like he knows what he wants yet." He then looks into the Latino boy's eyes, "So, let's give them the chance to have some fun together." He then leans in and whispers, "Plus, it might get him off your back."

Lori rubs her chain for a moment. Yeah, while Lori loves the idea of boys just chasing after her, given her current relationship status as 'taken' having an admittedly handsome boy on her tail wouldn't help things much. And so she shrugs, "All right, I'm ok with it."

Carol comes close to Bobby, "So am I."

Lincoln then looks at the Latino boy with a begging gaze, urging him to accept the proposition, "How about you?"

Thankfully, Bobby notices the look, _"I hope you know what you're doing!"_ he sighs, "All right, fine, I guess that's a good idea."

"Great!" Lincoln falls back in his chair.

"So, where should we have this double date?" Carol leans in close to the group.

Lori simply smiles, "How about, Gus' Games and Grub?"

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"Well guys, bad news…" Lincoln awkwardly rubs the back of his head, "I was not able to get Lori to go out with Bobby."

"What?!" Lola hops onto Lisa's console and stares at the boy in anger, "What are you talking about?! I gave you the best advice I could!"

"We all did, lil' sis." Luna grabs the young pageant queen and pulls her off the table, "We all have a stake in making sure the past stays the same."

"Exactly." Lisa begins to type code into her computer once more, "This predicament is quite jarring Lincoln, whatever possessed you to suggest going on a double date with her and Bobby?"

Lincoln awkwardly rubs the back of his head, "Well, I actually don't know… it's just… there is no way she would go out with Bobby without me around, and I need both of them to get together so…"

"So you did the only thing that could possibly bring them in the same room for longer than ten minutes." Lana sighs, "You're killin' us bro."

"In my defense, your advice worked!" Lincoln looks away in shame, "Just… not on Lori."

"Oh?" Lynn raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "Care to explain bro?"

"Bobby was able to get every girl to swoon over him, but Lori just wouldn't budge." He then takes a deep breath, "Anyways, we're going to Gus' Games and Grub for the double date, got any ideas?"

"What?! Gus' Games and Grub?!" Lola flares her arms in anger, "Why in the world would anyone wanna go to that icky place for a date?! There's cheese and dirt everywhere!"

"Don't blame me." The white-haired boy quickly counters, "It was Lori's idea!"

"Like, I didn't know Lori liked going there!" Leni speaks up, her eyes filling with stars, "I like, totes wonder how your babies are going to look!"

Immediately, the boy's face goes red in embarrassment, "Leni! I'm dating Lori for crying out Loud! I don't wanna have babies with her!" Though he can't help, but think, _"That would be creepy! Right? She doesn't know I'm her brother here so… is it incest?"_ though he shakes the thought from his mind.

"Oh…" She tilts her head in confusion, "Wait… but Lori's here!"

Lincoln facepalms, "Just… what can I do so she'll go out with Bobby?"

"Hmm…" Lisa rubs her chin in contemplation, "Well, it seems that all you must do is give them some alone time while you spend some time with Bobby's date. That way they'll bond and before you know it, they're dating!"

' _That wounds easier said than done… not that I have much a choice, now do I?"_ Lincoln sighs, "All right then, I guess that's the best I can do then."

"Good luck bro." Luna speaks with a soft, defeated tone, before the call cuts out, leaving the girls alone with their thoughts.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"All right, time to see what's going on with those kids." Rita quietly walks up the stairs- desperate as to not alert her children of her incoming presence.

Lynn Sr. wordlessly follows her lead and easily reaches the second floor.

With a quick motion, the woman prompts her husband to stand by her side and simply peek into the room of their youngest daughters.

And with that, they simply stand by for a moment, just watching them.

23-5-12-16 9-'13 14-15-23 19-1-4. 14-15 15-14-5 14-15-20-9-3-5-4 20-8-5 19-16-15-9-12-5-18…

 **A/N And there's the halfway mark! I wonder what's gonna happen next! I thank Wolvenstrom for his suggestions!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **DreadedCandiru2: Trust me, sometimes kids don't think too highly of their parents, only to realize they're not idiots!**

 **TheLivingMyth: Heh what do you think? Pass or fail?**

 **gamelover41592: Haha!**

 **361wii: "Meep"**

 **Zoinks81: Some things just never change! Plus, Rita and Lynn have proven that they can keep up with their kids' shenanigans on more than one occasion!**

 **Finnjr63: Thanks! I wonder what Bobby thinks now?!**


	16. Some Parental Intervention

**A/N Man, we should be passed the halfway point right about now. I hope you guys enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 16: Some Parental Intervention

"All right Rita, you ready?" Lynn Sr. Grips the door knob, ready to push into their children's bedroom.

Rita nods, "The girls have been acting strangely long enough, we have to find out what's going on and why Lincoln is involved."

"All right." The man nods once more, before pushing into the room of the young genius and the infant, "All right girls, what's going on?"

Instinctually, eight of their ten daughters rush to hide the ninth, each of them putting on sheepish expressions as they shout, "Nothing!"

"Oh really now?" Rita forces a chuckle to rest while crossing her arms, "Hey 'Lincoln' are you ready for your punishment?"

Lynn sighs and steps forward, "Yes mom."

Their father than crosses his arms as well, "Your punishment is to take off that stupid wig."

Instantly, the pseudo laboratory goes silent, with the Loud children simply looking on in shock.

How can this be?! Didn't their charade work?!

"We're not morons you know." Rita shakes her head in disappointment, "We've been parents for over seventeen years. If you wanna hide something, you're gonna have to try harder than that."

Lisa sighs in defeat, "Very well, Lynn, release your disguise. There is no longer a reason to keep up the charade."

With a soft sigh and a nod, the young athlete takes off the white wig, causing her ponytail to pop into view.

"Good." Lynn Sr. Continues, "Now girls, where is your brother?! We've been worried sick about him and since you're doing something like that to cover for him, that must mean that something big is going on! The question is, what is it?"

"Nothing!" Lola and Lana step forward, doing their best to put on as adorable a display as possible to distract their parents.

"Lincoln's just out helping a guy with his plumbing!" Lana continues, "They would've asked me, but Lincoln can handle-"

"Lana, I'd sooner believe that Lola willingly joined you in one of your infamous 'mud games' than someone calling Lincoln to fix their plumbing." Lynn Sr. pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration.

Instead of answering, the girls choose to maintain their sheepish smiles, desperate to hold onto the ever-fleeting control they have.

"So that's how it's gonna be, huh?" Rita raises an eyebrow in frustration, "Well then, I guess we're gonna have to do this the easier way." She turns to her second-eldest daughter, "Leni, I wanna throw a surprise party for Lincoln!"

Instantly, the young woman breaks her composure, "Really?! I've gotta send him an invite!" She then begins to rub her chin, "Wait... Lincoln's stuck in the past right now, so how is he supposed to get it?"

A surprised silence overtakes the room, with the two Loud Parents staring at their children in both confusion and surprise.

"Lincoln's trapped in the past?!" Lynn Sr. Flares his arms, desperate to emphasize his point, "You've got ten second to explain yourselves!"

"I suppose hiding it is no longer an option." Lisa hops off her console and walks through the crowd of her siblings, "Mother, father, I am to blame for the current temporal location of our male sibling.

The duo remains silent, prodding their daughter to elaborate further.

"A few days ago, I created a device that when used would move the user through time." She motions towards the console, "In order to maintain their link with the past, I made sure to create this console through which I am able to modify and control the functions of the device.

"So you invented a time machine and made your brother test it?" Lynn Sr.'s voice begins to fill with frustration.

"On the contrary." Lisa corrects, "He asked to test it in order to investigate the disappearance of a boy that seemed to have an impact on the lives of all sisters present six years ago."

"You mean Michael?" Rita raises an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Yes." The scientist nods.

For a moment, two parents turn to each other, before turning back to the girls, "Where's Lori?"

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

"All right, here we are!" Lori pushes open the double doors to the arcade, revealing a well-lit space with games of all shapes and sizes filling it. On their right is a small dining area where they would no doubt eat dinner, while the ticket counter rests right in front of them.

"Come on!" Lori bolts into the main area.

"Heh, yeah boys, come on." Carol chuckles, before giving chase to her friend, leaving the two boys alone.

"Well... let's not keep them waiting." Bobby sighs, before stepping forward, only for Lincoln to grab his shoulder.

"Wait, hold on for a sec." Lincoln turns his companion around, "We need to plan-"

"No." The Latino boy holds up his hand, pausing Lincoln for a moment, "Look, I know that disputed everything that's happened, you did it because you want to help me get Lori, and I appreciate it all." He sighs in defeat, "But, I've decided to face facts. Lori likes you, and as much as you try to deny it, you like her too, don't you?"

 _"Yeah... Lori is an amazing girl, and if she wasn't my sister, I'd love to stay."_ The white haired boy looks passed his companion for a moment, allowing his eyes to fall upon the blonde girl, _"She's my sister, right? Then why don't I see her like it?"_

"So, I've decided to give up." Bobby shakes his head, "Like they say, if you love something, set it free." He turns and looks at his date as well, "After all, thanks to you, I'm able to get any girl I want... even someone like Lori..."

 _"Carol may look like her, but they are not the same thing."_ Lincoln painfully sighs, "All right then... I wish you the best, ok?"

"Thanks." The Latino boy turns away, "Now come on, the girls are waiting for us."

Lincoln nods, and with that, the duo walks over to join their partners.

 _ **Back with the others...**_

"So, let me get this straight, just for the record, Lincoln went back in time to meet some mystery boy who came by six years ago." Rita repeats, desperate to wrap her head around the whole ordeal.

"You got it." Lynn nods.

"And because you-" Rita points at Lisa, "Forgot to make a way for him to come back, he's now stuck in the past trying to get Lori and Bobby to go out."

Lisa holds up her finger, "Correction, I did account for the trip back, it's just that device I planned to use has failed."

"Ok." Rita pinches the bridge of her nose, "What's your take on this, Lynn?"

"Simple." The man points at his daughters, "When Lincoln comes home, you're all grounded, got that?"

The nine sisters nod in a reluctant defeat.

"Poo-poo." Lily sighs, before Luna grabs hold of her hand, "Wincoln…"

"Don't worry little sis." Luna takes her in her warm, comforting hands, "We're gonna bring him back as soon as we can."

The baby looks away, seemingly unsure of whether or not to believe her own older sister, "Poo-poo…"

"All right, that's enough talking." Lynn Sr. turns to his toddler daughter, "Lisa, how's Lincoln doing in the past, and how much help does he need?"

For a moment, the young scientist hesitates, _"Should I tell them what I believe about the past? I mean, given how things are seemingly to work out for the better, it may be best to tell them that Lincoln is doing well…"_ A shudder begins to rush through the young girl's body, _"But… what if telling them will cause a paradox? I don't know… interfere or not to interfere, that is the question…"_

"Well?" Rita looks on in confusion.

Lisa sighs, "Very well, if I must." She takes a deep breath, before turning and hopping in front of the console once more, "Lincoln is currently working to get Lori and Bobby to date, just like they are here."

"We know that, that's what you told us earlier." Lyn Sr. motions for the young girl to move on with the explanation, "Every second you waste trying to tell us things we already know is another second we're not going out to save Lincoln."

"Right." She sighs, "Currently, that mission has hit a snag. You see… currently, Lincoln has entered into a relationship with Lori… much to our dismay." She begins to type, preparing another call, "So we tried to give Lincoln all of the advice we could- taking care not to inform Lori of his current mate out of fear of retribution."

"I see." Lynn Sr. shakes his head, "That explains why Lori left today…. I think t least."

"I sent her out to get me some materials I require to complete the return device." The young scientist corrects, "Would you like to talk to our male sibling? The device required to communicate with him is complete and functioning properly."

"Sure." Rita smiles, seemingly aware of just how absurd this situation sounds.

Lisa nods and after a few moments, Lincoln answers by whispering, "Uhh, hey Lisa, what's up? I'm kinda on a double date here!"

"Oh nothing." She sighs, "Mom and dad now know that you're in the past and are extremely annoyed by this fact."

"Well that's just great." The boy sighs in defeat, "Where are they?"

"Right here, honey." The duo comes into view, before the man declares with a nonchalant tone, "When you come how later, you're grounded!"

"Yeah, I know." Lincoln sighs, "Anyways, can we talk later, I'm trying to get Lori to go out with Bobby and well… it's not going over too well…" he rubs the back of his head in embarrassment, "I mean yeah, she's dating me right now, but I just don't get why Lori is uninterested with Bobby."

"Maybe I can help with that." Rita chuckles, "What'd you do?"

"Well, by everyone's advice, I cleaned Bobby up and made him as cool as possible. He knows how to make girls laugh…" He glances at his companions, the trio continuing to play the four-player fighting game, while Bobby's jokes cause Carol to laugh, though Lori remains unfazed. "That's not working much."

For a moment, the woman fights the urge to laugh, though the situation is just too much for her to handle, "Haha! I can't believe you didn't learn your lesson the first time it failed!"

"What do you mean, mom?" Lincoln tilts his head in confusion.

Rita wipes a tear from her eye, "This is just like the time Lynn tried to impress me and got some advice from his sisters too." She chuckles, "That went as well as the time you yourself tried to give out girl advice! Just because we think like we know best when it comes to relationship doesn't mean we do!"

Lincoln simply stares at his mother in frustration for a moment, "Yeah, but that doesn't help me much right now, now does it?"

"Sorry son, let me see if I can tell you anything else..." The woman rubs her chin, "Hmm, though if I remember correctly, Lori loves videogames around that time. Maybe if bobby can beat her in one, then he'll be able to grab her attention."

The boy looks back, only to spot Lori dominating Bobby and Carol, despite the clear disadvantage, "Uhh yeah, I'm watching them right now and from the looks of it, that's never gonna happen."

"Well then, I think you should just tell Bobby to be himself around her. Girls love honesty." She chuckles, "Plus, it's better than trying to apply the advice of nine of your sisters to the one girl they don't know."

"All right mom… thanks." The boy sighs, "Is there anything else you can tell me, maybe give me some spoilers?"

"I suggest against that." Lisa sighs, "I still do not fully understand the laws of our world's time travel. Therefore, giving spoilers may cause holes in space-time or may just make your life easier."

"All right then… all right." The boys sighs in defeat.

"Good luck on your date sweetie." Rita declares, "Make sure she has fun!"

"And don't go too far, we don't wanna be grandparents yet!" Lynn Sr. adds, causing Lincoln's face to go red in embarrassment.

"All right mom and dad, thanks." And with that, the call cuts out, allowing Lincoln to turn back to his companions.

" _Here we go… let's make this date unforgettable."_

9-20 9-19 20-9-13-5 6-15-18 12-9-14-3-15-12-14 1-14-4 12-15-18-9-'19 4-1-20-5 20-23-15: 5-12-5-3-20-18-9-3 2-15-15-7-1-12-15-15!

 **A/N Now almost everyone knows the truth and Lisa isn't any closer to making Lincoln's way home any easier! I hope you guys enjoyed, and I thank Wolvenstrom for his help!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **BoukenDutch: Yep! Now all that's left is them figuring out how to fix it all!**

 **DreadedCandiru: Lori doesn't hate the place in real time, does she? I just thought she preferred the mall over it.**

 **gamelover41592: Oh, that's gonna happen soon.**

 **Finnjr63: Thanks!**

 **TheLivingMyth: Severe confusion!**

 **364wii: Heh, yeah!**

 **Zoinks81: I doubt she does, I mean come on!**

 **rctperson85: Mainly time constraints. It's hard to write a long story like this in so little time!**


	17. Double Date Time Troubles

**A/N Wow, despite having to take a ridiculously hard test yesterday, I have somehow managed to write this chapter. I hope you enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 17: Double Date Time Troubles

"All right, let's go." Lincoln turns off the communicator and turns, "Hey guys, how's the game goin'?"

"Good I'd say." Lori easily gets her character to jump in the air and spin, easily disarming Carol and Bobby's characters, before dealing the final blow, sending them to defeat.

"We lost..." Carol pouts for a moment, before Bobby painfully wraps his arm around her.

 _"Carol's like Lori, right? I mean she does look like her... and she's nice like her, right?"_ He smiles, before running his hand through the young girl's soft curls, "Hey, don't worry Babe, it's just a game."

"Yeah! A game I totally rule at!" Lori shouts, "do you dare challenge the master, Michael?"

"I think I'll pass." Lincoln holds up his hands defensively, "If you were able to destroy them in a two V one, you're definitely gonna get me in a one-on-one."

"Oh, I guess you're chicken, huh?" The you girl crosses her arms, "or you're just worried that I'm gonna beat you so hard that you'll never gonna get back from it!"

Immediately, the boy's face goes red in embarrassment, "N-no! That's not it!"

"Oh, you're just chicken then, huh?" Lori begins to grow a smug grin, "Am I right?"

"No!" Lincoln tries to counter.

"Bock, bock, bock!" Lori begins to flap her arms, "you're definitely a chicken!"

"No!" Lincoln can only answer, before his three companions begin to laugh. With his face going even redder, the boy turns, "I gotta use it." Before he walks away.

"Haha!" Carol holds herself, before she wipes a tear from her eye, "Actually, the bathroom sounds like a great idea right now." She turns to Bobby, "I can leave you here with Lori, right?"

Bobby nods, "Of course!" He chuckles, "I'll be waiting for you."

"Great!" She turns and nods at Lori, who responds by nodding as well, before she walks away, leaving Lori and Bobby alone together.

"So, now that they're gone, wanna play a game?" The blonde-haired girl asks, turning and grabbing hold of the controls as she does so.

 _"I gave her up... Carol looks just like her!"_ Bobby mentally protests while trying to subdue the feelings building in the pit of his stomach.

"Or are you chicken too?" Lori can't help, but chuckle at the idea of both of her male companions trembling in fear of her skill.

Bobby gulps, _"I… I have to play with her, that's the only way I'll be able to let her go. Once she outright destroys the me over the fact that I don't stand a chance at beating her at this game, I'll be able to finally get over her!"_ And so, with a deep breath, he nods and walks over to her, "All right, all right, you're on."

"Awesome." Lori chuckles, making sure to shove a coin in the machine, with Bobby following soon after.

"Just for reference, I'm not gonna hold back anymore, got that?" The Latino boy does his best to put on a tough voice, desperate to leave his mark in his companion's mind.

"Haha! Like my mom always says, if you're not going all out, then you're being more disrespectful than outright telling your opponent that they suck!"

And before the duo knows it, they're playing a game together.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

" _Calm down Lincoln."_ The young boy splashes a handful of water in his face, trying to wash the nervousness building in his figure, _"This date is nothing. You're doing a good job. You just have to get Lori and Bobby to spend more time together and then everything is gonna be fine."_ He takes a deep breath, "Let's go."

And with that, he turns and steps out of the bathroom. Thankfully, his companions hadn't stepped away from the game, allowing him to find them almost immediately. Though, when he does so, he chooses to hide behind one of the machines, watching them from a distance as they play the game.

" _Wow, this was way easier than I thought it would be."_ Lincoln chuckles, his gaze falling upon the duo. From what he can see, Lori is utterly dominating Bobby, all the while sporting a soft grin. _"Heh, I guess this is gonna work out for the best after all."_

"You know, she loves video games, right?" A familiar voice declares, causing Lincoln to turn to the source.

"What the-" His eyes go wide, "Hey, wait, aren't you the guy from the movies?!"

The man chuckles, "Looks like we meet again." His voice goes low though from what he can tell, it's as harsh as he remembers it to be, "Anyways, I've known little Lorelei for years, and I'll admit, she always took after her mother more."

"Yeah?" Lincoln raises an eyebrow in confusion, _"Wait… Lori's real name is Lorelei?! Why didn't I know that?!"_ He shrugs, "I mean, I guess that's ok… I'm just… not one for videogames ya know…"

"Heh." The man chuckles, "Look, I know videogames aren't really a thing a lot of people are good at- especially at the level that Lori has been able to get to thanks to her mother's training, but if you really like her then…" He looks passed the hood he uses to hide his face, allowing the young boy to catch of glimpse of the man behind it- though not enough to make out any distinct features, "It would mean the world to her if you played a game."

Lincoln looks back at the duo, "Yeah… I know… but… I doubt that I'd last long enough for her to even enjoy it!"

"Oh really now?" The man simply motions towards the duo, "From the looks of it, she doesn't mind the fact that she's having an easy time with her current opponent. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that that wasn't a one-sided match up!"

For a moment, the young boy hesitates. From what he knows, Lori would most likely curbstomp him in whatever game they would play! And yet, from watching her play against Bobby, she didn't seem to mind- heck, she seemed to actually enjoy it all!

"Besides, it's not the first time I've seen a little boy's heart break because the girl of his dreams left him for someone who was willing to do more." The man continues.

" _Yeah… but that's what I want to happen, right?"_ His heart begins to race, _"The whole point of this date was to get them to spend some time together, right? I mean, come on! It can't be that bad!"_ A soft pain begins to build in his chest, while strange thoughts begin to fill his mind, _"No… I can't let Bobby take her from me… I have to prove that…."_

He shakes his head, _"No… why am I thinking these things?! This whole double date thing was to get Bobby and Lori…"_ He clutches his fists, his thoughts dying down just as Bobby's character finally falls.

"And that's game!" Lori declares, before stretching her fingers.

"Aww, dangit!" Bobby awkwardly rubs the back of his head, "And here I thought I had you that time."

"What can I say." Lori shrugs, before chuckling, "I am the master."

" _I have to."_ The white-haired boy steps out from his cover, "Hey guys, I'm back."

Immediately, the duo turns to greet their companion, "Oh, hey Lincoln, what's up?"

"Lori, I'm ready to verse you." He steels himself for a moment, "Are you ready for my challenge?"

Immediately, the young girl's face lights up, "Really?!" before she grabs his hand and pulls him over to the console, "Let's go!"

Lincoln chuckles, _"Man, she really did wanna play this game with me."_ He pulls out a coin and shoves it in the machine, with Lori following soon after, "Here we go!"

And a moment later, the duo picks their characters- with Lincoln picking a strange plant man, while Lori picks a female ninja.

"Heh, plant vs. ninja, sound's like the basis to a really weird Steam game." Bobby quips, before Carol comes back over. "Oh, welcome back."

"What'd I miss?" the young girl asks.

"Oh nothing much. Just Lincoln and Lori are getting ready to-"

Yet, before Bobby can finish, the announcer shouts, _**"Fight!"**_

"Here I come!" quickly, Lincoln wraps his character's around Lori's, easily subduing her… or so he thinks, "Whatcha gonna do now?"

Lori snickers, "Man, you really think I'm bad at videogames, don't you." Quickly, she taps a few buttons, cutting herself free from her bonds, before she spins and sends a barrage of shuriken at the plant.

"Haha, this isn't gonna be as easy as I thought it would be." Lincoln's heat begins to race, while adrenaline starts to rush through his veins.

"Agreed." Lori steels herself, seemingly beginning to focus even harder on the task at hand than before, "Finally, a worthy opponent."

" _Let's see how worthy I am."_ The boy thinks, and before he knows it, the duo's characters are fighting once more.

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

The duo's characters stand neck-to-neck, their health bars evenly matched despite the back and forth occurring between the both of them.

"Heh, I guess next attack settles it." Lori glances at her opponent.

"Yeah." Lincoln chuckles, "Then let's make it count." Suddenly, he begins to tap furiously, causing his plan monster to shout, "Supreme Frenzy Plant!" Before launching a massive barrage at Lori's ninja.

"Go Mega Shuriken Strike!" And with that, the ninja unleashes a storm of the bladed weapons to counter the plant's growth, causing a massive cloud of smoke to overtake the battlefield.

A moment of shocked silence passes after that, with both Lori and Lincoln staring to see whether or not they were able to win. Slowly, the dust fades, revealing the sight: both player's health bars are depleted, with the characters lying in defeat.

"Wow…" Lori's face goes red in blush, "you're the first person I've ever gone up against who was actually able to tie with me."

Lincoln's face goes red as well, "Heh wow, thanks Lori."

The young girl wraps her arm around him, "No, thank you, Michael." She smiles and hugs him, making sure to pull him as closely as she can as she does so.

And nearby, Bobby simply turns to Carol hugging her as well, though it is obvious just how much he hurts from seeing Lori hug Lincoln.

After that, the rest of the double date is uneventful, with the quartet simply eating some of Gus' famous pizza before they play a few more games together- with Lori and Lincoln tying in each one- before they finally break off for the night.

"See ya!" Lori shouts as she waves for Bobby and Carol to head home, "Get home safe!"

"Heh, we will." Carol wraps her arm around Bobby, "Isn't that right?"

Bobby nods, "Yeah…." Before he glances back at Lori with pain filling his body, "Goodnight…"

And with that, they head off.

"Heh, so, I guess it's time we head out too." Lincoln chuckles, "I mean… yeah…"

Lori sighs, "Michael… I think it's time."

"Time for what?" The boy tilts his head in confusion.

"Look, if you haven't noticed, my dad's been watching us ever since our first date." Lori rubs the back of her head in embarrassment, "Given how we met you… well I don't blame him."

"Oh… ok." The boy shrugs, "What of it?"

"Michael, I think it's about time you met my family."

18-25-21 22-19 18-21-13-2-12-5 23-1-19 2-5-20-20-5-18

 **A/N It seems that things are starting to fall into place nicely! I thank Wolvenstrom for his help and I hope you guys enjoyed!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Zoinks81: Yep! Life in the Loud House is so crazy that nothing can truly faze them!**

 **gamelover41592: First they get their son back, then all the incest jokes can start coming in!**

 **DreadedCandiru2: Yeah! Lori loves videogames!**

 **364wii: How to create paradox 101.**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: Thanks! Heh, their life is crazy enough, I think they would've gotten used to it by now.**

 **Finnjr63: Thanks!**

 **TheLivingMyth: Now they must start drawing fan art and making fanfiction!**


	18. Visiting The Louds

**A/N Hey guys and welcome to chapter 18! It's a shorter one than usual because I wanna set up for chapter 19: Meeting the Louds!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 18: Visiting The Louds

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Lincoln?" Lisa rubs the back of her head in nervousness, "I mean, visiting our family unit when you yourself are a member… I do not believe that is a wise choice."

"Don't worry about it, Lisa. Everything is gonna be fine, I just know it!" The young boy counters, continuing to walk along the peaceful Royal Woods morning. In order to optimize the amount of time Lori and Lincoln would have to introduce the latter to the former's family, they decided to wait until the weekend to do.

Now, the young white-haired boy simply presses on, mentally preparing himself for the day ahead, _"I just hope I know you guys as well as I think I do…"_

"Look, Lincoln, as much as Lisa and I disagree on… well everything…" Lynn rubs her head in embarrassment, "But, even I have to admit, it's gonna be had not to go… well… crazy!"

"Like, totally!" Leni waves him off, "I mean, like we loved dressing up and stuff, right Lynn!"

Instantly, the young athlete's face goes red, "Hey! I did not like to play dress up!"

Leni simply begins to chuckle in response.

" _I might have to remember that later. It might come in handy."_ Lincoln chuckles, before asking, "Anyways guys, is there anything else you wanna tell me, before I end this call and head over to our home six years ago?"

The present-day Louds talk amongst themselves for a moment- after all, there's plenty they could say, warning the young boy about the potential dangers that he could face. And yet, Rita simply shakes her head, "There isn't much to say Lincoln. If memory servers me right though, you can handle anything those girls are gonna throw at you!"

"Thanks mom." Lincoln chuckles, "What about you, dad?"

"Keep the communicator on, but set it to silent. We wanna be around in case something happens, ok?" The man leans forward, allowing his face to come into view. From what Lincoln can see, he has noticeable bags under his eyes, while his smile is filled with pain, "And remember, have fun. I loved seeing Lori's dates know just how to keep things interesting."

"Got it." And without another word, Lincoln sets the call to silence, before turning on walking up to a familiar door, _"All right, I'm here. Let's hope that they don't want my head still."_ He takes a deep breath, before knocking on the door.

"Who is it?" a familiar voice greets, prompting Lincoln to respond, "It's me, Michael!"

"Michael?!" Her voice fills with surprise, before she rushes over and opens the door, "You're really early."

"What can I say, I like being punctual." He shrugs with a smile, _"Heh given what I have to deal with usually, being on time is a luxury."_

Lori then steps aside and motions for him to enter the home, "Heh, I'll get my parents, you just wait on the-"

Yet, before she can even finish her sentence, the two adults step out of their room.

"Well, well, is this the boy you were telling us about, honey?" The past Lynn Sr. asks, approaching the boy as he does so.

Instantly, Lori wraps her arms around Lincoln's, "Yep! He's the guy!"

Suddenly, a harsh air overtakes the duo, with Lynn Sr. wasting no time approaching the young boy, "Now boy, you gave us quite the scare the other day." He steels his gaze and towers over the eleven-year-old, "I want you to know something and know it well." He stares into the young boy's eyes, "Don't mess with my family or else."

Now, Lincoln had had to deal with bullies before. He's had to deal with teasing and threats of all kinds! Most of it, he is immune to. Like he says, in a family as big as his, one must grow thick skin or risk severe self-esteem issues. And yet, in this moment, Lincoln can feel himself shrink, before he nods frantically, hoping to appease the angry father.

"Good. Now-" Yet, before he can finish his threat, his wife grabs and pulls him away.

"Ok Lynn, that's enough for now." She shakes her head, before turning to her daughter, "How about you take your father and help him get ready for our trip?" She turns to the young boy in her midst, "I'd like to talk to your boyfriend for a bit."

"All right mom." Lori nods, before both she and her father nod at each other and walk into the kitchen, no doubt trying to listen in on the conversation they would soon have.

" _I wonder what she's gonna do to me…"_ Lincoln gulps in fear for a moment. "H-hi Mrs. Loud."

The woman takes a deep breath, before holding onto her pregnant belly, "Don't worry Michael, I'm not gonna hurt you. I just wanna talk, ok?"

" _Well that's a relief."_ Lincoln takes a deep breath, "Ok… what about?"

Rita prods him to sit down on the couch, which he does so, "About you breaking into our daughter's bedroom." She looks into the boy's eyes, "I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty creepy."

Instantly, Lincoln's face goes red, before he rubs the back of his head in embarrassment, "Oh… that's why… heh." He chuckles, "Sorry about that… I was, uhh… trying to be romantic, you know, like my sisters suggested…"

"Now son, breaking into a girls bedroom might sound romantic, but in real life it only leads to trouble." The woman's voice is filled with a soft heat, while she places a hand on his shoulder,

Immediately, Lincoln's face goes even redder, "Well… I guess you're right…" He looks back at the pregnant woman, "I just… I know my sisters don't give too much good advice, I'm worried about what'll happen if I don't listen to them.

The woman chuckles, "Don't worry about it all. I'm sure nothing too horrible will happen if you disregard them once."

"True…" His voice trails off, "I mean… I did use their advice to help a friend try to woo a girl… and it didn't work."

"Howso?" She looks on in curiosity.

"He wasn't able to convince the girl… but managed to get every other girl in the class to go bonkers over him."

Rita laughs, "Haha, typical!" She wipes a tear forming under her eye, "Let me tell you something, Michael. Just because they're women doesn't mean they necessarily know more about what they like than men do. More often than not we can be just as clueless about matters of the heart as any boy and you can quote me on that

For a moment, Lincoln remains silent. Yes, it is true that every time he has gone to his sisters for relationship advice, it typically ended up being more of the same, and yet… nothing. In Lincoln's eyes the woman is completely right. "Wow... I guess I should've tried something else huh"

The woman chuckles, "Well, you managed to get my daughter to agree to go out with you so... I think you do a good job with her so far." She rubs his head, "But, just be careful, all right? I want my daughter to be happy." Suddenly, her warm, caring air becomes harsh, "That means that if you so much as touch a single hair on my little girl's head, I will-"

"Rita! It's time to go!" Lynn Sr. walks into the room, with Lori following soon after, "We're going to be late with our appointment!"

Immediately, the pregnant woman hops to her feet, "All right then, Lynn, I'm ready." She glances back at the boy, "Take care of her, ok?"

Lincoln wordlessly nods, before the two parents begin to step out of the house. "W-wait!"

"Hmm?" Lynn Sr. glances back at their guest, "What is it?"

"D-don't you have a huge family? Are you sure it'll be a good idea to leave us alone with them?"

"Course." The woman shrugs, "I mean, we leave Lori alone with them all the time, and nothing bad happens when she's around."

Then, the man cuts in, "And if you two decide to have a little too much fun and try to have some hanky panky, then Lori is going to start living in a convent and you, my boy, are going to have to go home with your 'boys' in your front pocket."

Lincoln gulps in response. "U-understood."

"Dad!" Lori cuts in, "Don't worry! We're not gonna do anything like that!" Her voice fills with frustration.

"Good." The man turns and nods at his daughter, who simply cheers, "See ya mom and dad!" before the duo heads out of the home, leaving the two children behind.

"Heh. That was fun." Lori quips, before turning around and beginning to make her way up the stairs, "Now come on, I've got some people to introduce you to."

"Who?" Lincoln wastes no time following the young girl.

Once she reaches the second floor hallway, she holds out her arms in an attempt to make the place seem bigger than it really is. "My siblings!"

And as soon as those words echo through the home, the hallway heats up.

" _Looks like it's time I met my siblings…"_

9-20 12-15-15-11-19 12-9-11-5 20-8-5-25 8-1-22-5 6-15-21-14-4 1 12-15-21-4!

 **A/N I hope you guys enjoyed! I thank Wolvenstrom for his help!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **DreadedCandiru2: 1) Yep! 2) Heh, the power of fandom! 3) I don't know.**

 **364wii: I wish we did too.**

 **Zoinks81: Hopefully, but there's still plenty to see!**

 **gamelover41592: Yes, yes he is.**

 **Finnjr63: Thanks!**

 **TheLivingMyth: That's my job as a writer!**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: Thanks!**


	19. Meeting The Louds

**A/N Don't you just love it when writer's block and school screws up your writing schedule? More on that at the end.**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 19: Meeting The Louds

Silence overtakes the hallway for a moment, with Lori holding her arms outstretched, seemingly waiting for something to happen. And yet, much to her dismay, nothing does.

"Uhh… is something supposed to happen?" Lincoln tilts his head in confusion.

Lori grimaces, frustration beginning to fill her body, "I said, 'my siblings'!"

And yet, still nothing happens.

"Dangit!" She throws her arms down at her sides, "Leni! Come out here!"

"Coming!" A soft voice calls out, before a young girl skips out of what 'Michael' assumes to be her room.

" _Heh, I guess this is when there were so few of us that most of us didn't have to share rooms."_ Lincoln can't help, but chuckle at just how small the family had to have been to allow such a thing.

The young Leni hops over with a smile, "Hey! Who are you?!"

"I'm Michael." Lincoln outstretches his hand to greet the young girl, "Who might you be?"

Suddenly, the ten-year-old's eyes go wide in surprise, "You're Michael?!" She grabs his hand and begins to squeal in delight, "Lori, like, won't stop talking about you! It's like you're meant to be together!" her voice starts to speed up, while her mind races at an equal rate, "Are you gonna get married?! What are you gonna name your kids?! I wanna know!"

"Oh, sorry about-" the young girl tries to cut her little sister's excited rambling off, only for Lincoln to simply pat Leni's head.

"Heh, ok, ok, just calm down Leni, ok?" He holds onto the slightly younger girl's hand, "Your sister and I just met. We're still working out all the stuff so…" He can't help, but chuckle, "Why don't you ask us about this stuff later, ok?"

Leni pouts in defeat, "Fine…" Before she perks up once more and grabs his shirt, "Hey! This is a nice polo! Where'd you get it?!"

" _Well, you made it for me, in the future of course."_ Though, of course he can't say that. So instead, he simply smiles, "My sister made it for me."

"Really?!" The young girl's eyes light up in joy, "She looks really talented! Maybe I'll get to meet her one day!"

"Haha! Maybe you will, maybe you will." Lincoln runs his hand through her soft, blonde hair, "In the meantime, why don't you go try to make something yourself? Your big sister's introducing me to your other sisters, ok?"

"Ok!" She cheerfully turns to her older sister, "This boy's cute!" before she turns and bolts back into her room, no doubt to practice the craft that she had all, but perfected in the future.

"Heh, she seems nice." The boy quips, _"Just like how she is back in my time."_

"Wow, you're the first person I've seen not get driven away by just how crazy she could be…" Lori rubs the back of her head in embarrassment, "I thought for sure…"

Yet, before she can finish, 'Michael' holds up his hand, "Don't worry about it, I've lived with my sisters long enough to know how to handle someone like her."

Instead of responding, Lori simply looks on in amazement. It's almost like the mere idea of someone being able to handle her siblings is unheard to her!

"So, who's next?" Lincoln chuckles, "So far, your family is pretty interesting."

"Thanks." Lori rubs her chin, only for a young girl to poke her head out of a nearby room, "Hey Lori, who's your friend?"

"Oh, he's my boyfriend Luan." The older girl glances back at her sister.

"Huh, really?" The younger girl steps into view, revealing a simple white shirt and yellow skirt, "I guess he's a one-of-a-cake!"

" _Dangit, some things just never change, do they?"_ Lincoln holds down the urge to groan, choosing instead to simply remain silent while his partner pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"Luan, can you please try your puns somewhere else? They're literally…" She groans, "I don't even know what to say about them!"

"Aww, Lori…" The young comedian pouts, "I'm just tryin' to get you two to laugh…"

Suddenly, a realization dawns on Lincoln, _"I guess this is about the time I taught her about video, isn't it?"_ He smiles and walks over, making sure to place a soft hand on the young girl's shoulder, "Now Luan, you've got a lot to learn."

"What do you mean?" The young girl tilts her head in confusion, "I'm a full deck you know?" She pulls out a small stack of cardboard, "I've got the card!"

Lincoln can't help, but crack a chuckle at the bad pun, "Heh, I'll admit, that one was better. But you've gotta keep working on your material."

For some strange reason, Luan blushes, while her mouth falls wide in awe.

"And remember, always keep a camera rolling, you never know when you're gonna hit comedy gold." He rubs her head as well, eliciting a soft smile from the young comedian.

"Ok!" Luan hugs the young boy, before breaking it and bolting back into her room.

" _Heh great. That's how you get your other sister to get a crush on you as well."_ He shakes his head, "Heh, so far they're spirited, but not as much as I thought they'd be." He turns to face Lori once more, "I wonder why they're not as Loud as I thought they'd be."

Instead of responding, Lori looks on in surprise, "Wow… most people would go nuts if they had people run up to them like that…"

Lincoln chuckles, "I'm not like most people." He steps over to a closed door and glances inside, "Whose room is this?"

"Oh that?" Lori comes over to his side, "That's Luna… she doesn't really do much besides listen to music and stuff…" She rubs her head, "I don't-"

Yet, before the young girl can finish her plea, Lincoln knocks on the door, "Hey…"

The young occupant looks up from the book she is reading, though, she chooses not to greet him.

" _That's Luna?"_ He thinks in surprise, _"She… she doesn't look anything like her!"_ Unlike the young girl he is used to, this Luna wears a soft pink dress, with cute little buckle shoes and tube socks.

"H-hi there…" She greets, though it's obvious she doesn't want to say much to the young boy.

"I'm Michael." The boy continues, "I was just saying hi since… I'm dating your sister."

"Oh… ok…" The young girl looks away, "I guess that's all right then… you go have fun…"

Wordlessly, Lincoln pulls out of the room and turns to face his partner, "Well… that could've been better…"

"Yeah…" Lori then turns and walks over to the next room, "Anyways, how about we meet my next sister, Lynn!"

" _Heh, I'm sure she's gonna be crazy, just like she is back in the present."_ Lincoln chuckles at the idea, before he walks over and knocks on that door as well. "Lynn?"

Quickly, sounds of objects rattling echo through the hall, before the young girl opens the door with a sheepish smile. "Hey guys, what's up?"

Lori raises an eyebrow in confusion, "Uhh, Lynn… what just happened in there?"

"Nothing!" She quickly raises her hands, seemingly trying to prevent the duo from looking inside, "Just me having some fun with dolls ya know!"

" _Lynn… playing with dolls… something tells me that she's lying."_ The boy chuckles, "All right then, we just came by to introduce me."

Immediately, the young girl turns to him and tilts her head in confusion, "Hey… aren't you that boy that dad chased out the other day?"

Lincoln's face goes red in embarrassment, "Yes…"

The young girl steels her gaze, "You creep, why did-"

"Lynn, calm down." Lori holds her arms out in front of Lincoln, hoping to calm her disgruntled sister, "He did that because he wanted to get my attention!"

"Yeah…" He then steps passed Lori's barrier, "Don't worry, I'm not-"

Yet, before he can finish, Lynn sends her fist into the boy's gut, causing him to double over in pain.

Without hesitation, Lori grabs onto her little sister's shoulders with anger filling her eyes, "Lynn! He's my boyfriend! You shouldn't punch him!"

"No Lori, I deserved that." He forces himself upright, "You hit hard kid, it's almost like you're an athlete or something."

Immediately, the young girl's face goes red in embarrassment, before she slams the door, cutting off the conversation. "Heh, well that could've gone better." The boy quips, before turning back to Lori, "Who else is there to meet?"

"Goo!" A tiny voice calls out, causing the duo to turn towards the source- an infant with soft, blonde hair.

" _Heh, well that answers that question."_ The young boy walks over and picks the toddler up, "And who might you be?"

"Goo!" The baby giggles, before clapping her hands in excitement.

"That's my sister, Lucy." Lori rubs the back of her head, "She's only a baby so… yeah… there isn't really much to meet about her."

" _This is Lucy?!"_ Lincoln's eyes go wide in shock, _"I've gotten so used to seeing her like this, it's hard to believe that she was once a baby like this!"_ Yet, unwilling to show off his surprise, he simply smiles at the young girl, before cradling her and tickling her tummy, causing her to laugh.

" _Wow… he's doing so well…"_ Lori's face begins to go red with blush, "There's just one sibling left… my only brother…"

"Bring him out." The young boy looks up at the linen closet, already knowing what to expect, _"I've lived in that closet for so long… it's almost surreal at this point."_

"Lincoln, mind coming out here?" Lori beckons, causing the door to open slowly, before a young boy with soft blonde hair to stick his head through, "Yes Lori?" His hair has soft brown streaks flowing through it, while he simply wears an ordinary orange shirt… and is exactly what Lincoln remembers himself to look like.

"H-hey…" The young boy awkwardly greets, unsure of how to handle the duo in his midst.

" _Looks like I'm gonna have to break the ice."_ Lincoln chuckles, before approaching himself, Lucy still in his arms, "Hey there, Lincoln, I'm Michael- your sister's boyfriend."

"H-hi…" The young boy recoils, seemingly unsure of how to respond.

"Don't mind him much, he's not really used to talking to boys besides our dad..." Lori steps over and motions for him to come closer. "Come on Lincoln, Michael is a friend, he's not gonna hurt you."

Slowly, the young boy steps out from the room.

" _I have to get my own trust."_ The older boy offers his hand, "It's nice to meet you Lincoln…" He rubs the back of his head, "You know… I'm the only boy out of a ton of girls too…"

Suddenly, the young boy's eyes go wide in surprise, "R-really?"

"Yeah." 'Michael' smiles at him, "If you ever wanna talk about anything, feel free to ask."

Suddenly, the young boy throws his arms around his older counterpart, "Thank you!"

" _Wow… was I really this lonely back then?"_ Carefully, Lincoln returns the embrace, making sure not to harm the young bundle resting in his arm.

"S-sorry…" The young boy quickly lets go, "I uhh…"

" _I have to make sure I'm all right…"_ Lincoln places a soft, understanding hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, I understand." He chuckles, "In a home full of girls, it gets hard to talk to other boys.

Yet, the young boy chooses not to respond and simply looks away.

" _Wow… did I really change that much? Was I… this? Alone in a full house?"_

*Yawn* The infant goes.

"It looks like it's time for Lucy to take a nap." The young Lincoln grabs the infant from his counterpart, "I'm getting too old for these… but Lucy can't sleep without me around…"

"Why's that?" the older Lincoln raises his eyebrow in curiosity.

"Oh, she's afraid of the dark, that's why." The young Lincoln then steps back into his room, but he does make sure to look back and whisper, "Thanks." Before he closes the door behind him.

"Wow… that was… wow…" Lori goes in surprise.

"Heh, wow what?" Lincoln raises an eyebrow in curiosity, before he begins to make his way down the stairs.

"I've never seen anyone handle my siblings like that before…" Lori begins to play with her hair, while her face begins to get even redder.

Lincoln shrugs, "Heh, what can I say? I've got a lot of experience handling families."

" _Maybe he really is the one…"_ Lori hops on the couch, with Lincoln following soon after, "Heh… I guess I can relate."

"Yep." The boy quips with a smile.

Slowly, soft silence begins to overtake the duo. With the young Loud's siblings already in order, there isn't much to do besides relax and watch TV… or so Lincoln thinks.

"Hey Michael… I was wondering…" The young girl breaks through the soft quiet. "You're good at handling my siblings and well…"

"Yeah?" The boy looks at his companion.

"I uhh… well I was wondering, umm…" She rubs her arm and looks away, hoping he wouldn't notice the redness beginning to overtake her, "The dance and… uhh…"

Lincoln raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "You want me to take you to the Sadie Hawkins Dance?"

23-5-12-12 20-8-9-19 9-19 10-21-19-20 7-18-5-1-20! 1-20 12-5-1-19-20 8-5 23-9-12-12 14-15-20 8-1-22-5 6-15-21-18 4-1-20-5-19 20-8-9-19 20-9-13-5!

 **A/N I hope you guys enjoyed! I thank Wolvenstrom for his help! Anyways, I was supposed to update Unwavering Bonds today, like I said a week ago… and then I wrote the draft, which I disliked so much that I have to rewrite it all. School isn't helping.**

 **Man, I really am approaching author burnout.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Zoinks81: He's trapped, he's now intertwined with the Louds!**

 **DreadedCandiru2: 1) Yeah! And it gets worse over time! 2) They're completely different!**

 **gamelover41592: Meeting the Louds 101: Expect the unexpected.**

 **Finnjr63: Thanks!**

 **364wii: This is fanfiction, you never know.**

 **BoukenDutch: (Note, real review:** Well, have fun meeting yourself Lincoln. I wonder if we will see any signs of the "Future me scares me" or "I hate past me" tropes between past-Lincoln and present-Lincoln. **) Heh, it's more he's surprised by how much he's changed.**


	20. Decisions, Decisions

**A/N Here we are, 2/3 the way through the challenge and entering the final arc of the story! I hope you guys have enjoyed it so far!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 20: Decisions, Decisions

"Welp, I guess I'm gonna be going to the Sadie Hawkins Dance in a few days." Lincoln looks away in uncertainty, "Do you guys have any suggestions for what I can do?"

"Like, you should totes go have fun!" Leni shouts, waving him off as she does so, "It'll be awesome!"

"Yeah!" Lola cheers, "You're gonna have to make Lori feel like the most special girl in the world!" She shivers for a moment, "I can't wait!"

Lincoln takes a moment to think. Given his experiences with the girls' excitement before, it would definitely be a bad idea to have them meddle in this too, right? "Girls, if you don't mind, I think I'm gonna try doing this without your help, ok?"

"What?!" The girls shout in unison, "Why?!"

The lone boy rubs the back of his head in embarrassment, "I dunno… I just… well… I can't always go to you guys for help so…" He holds his hand over the end call button, "I think I'm just gonna go handle this myself."

"But Lincoln-" The girls try to respond, only for the boy to end the call before they can go any further.

"Well that could've gone better." Lana quips, crossing her arms as she does so, "I mean, come on! We give great advice!"

"Yeah!" Lola flares her arms, "Who does he think he is?!"

Yet, before the twins can voice their discontent any further, Lynn cuts in, "Right now he's our brother who's stuck in the past you two. And after that visit to our old home, well… I'm a bit creeped out."

"I'm with ya sis." Luna leans against the wall, strumming along as she does so, "I've known music for so long, seeing myself like that was creepy." She looks up, "What about you, Luce?"

Nearby, Lucy sits in a fetal position in the corner, "So much bright sunshine and rainbows… Ugh… I can't believe that was me!"

"What can I say." Lynn Sr. chuckles, "We're always telling you how you were our happiest baby!"

"I still don't believe it." The young Goth curls up even more.

"Hmm… still I don't get one thing…" Lisa speaks up, breaking through the confusion of her room.

"And what's that, Lisa?" Leni tilts her head in confusion, "I mean… I can get you one thing but…"

Rather than let Leni ramble on for any longer, Lisa simply continues, "Why is it that Lincoln's hair in the present is white, while in the past it is a mix of blonde and brown?" She adjusts her glasses, "Which, I might add, doesn't seem scientifically possible."

Immediately, her parents and older siblings, including Leni, glare at Luan.

The young comedian puts on a sheepish smile, "W-why are you all lookin' at me? Did I get hotter or something?"

Luna shakes her head and crosses her arms, "Rainbow hair dye."

"Oh… right…" She rubs the back of her head and looks down in shame, "Yeah… that…"

"Uhh… what's rainbow hair dye?" Lola raises an eyebrow in curiosity.

Rita pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration, "You see girls, Lincoln originally had blonde hair with brown streaks in them." She looks at her clown of a daughter, "But one day, Luan here decided that she would prank Lincoln by dying his hair in all colors of the rainbow."

She laughs nervously and rubs her arm, "I was just trying to get a laugh…"

Rita flares her arms in frustration, "It wasn't funny Luan! Your brother had to be taken to the hospital because of just how bad the chemical burns were. Your little prank destroyed almost every follicle it touched and bleached the roots of his hairs!"

Luna then speaks up, "He was screaming his head of begging us to make it stop! He wouldn't let go of my hand for four hours!"

Lynn Sr then pinches the bridge of his nose as well, "And do you have any idea how weird it's going to be for me in the next few years or so to explain to him why he doesn't have white…" He glances at his younger daughters, the young girls looking up in interest, "Never mind."

"R-right…" Luan goes silent.

Lisa then adjusts her glasses, "Anyway, I believe it is time to get back to work." And wit that, she turns around and begins typing on her console once more.

"Wait!" Leni shouts, flaring her arms as she does so, "Does this mean Lincoln's kids aren't gonna have white hair?!"

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

And with that, the line goes quiet once more, leaving the young, White hired boy to his walk, _"Man... I can't believe this is still going on... it's so surreal._ "

He places his hands behind his head, while his mind begins to fill with thoughts once more, _"I guess being in the past isn't too bad. I mean, I somehow managed to get a girl to start dating me, and I've got a nice place to stay!"_ his eyes begin to fall in defeat, _"But... she's my sister..."_

Immediately, he purges the thought from his mind, _"No... she's my girlfriend, not my sister!"_ His chest begins to ache, though he does his bet to hold down the feeling.

Soon enough, he finds himself aimlessly wandering through the town of Royal Woods. The young boy can feel the sunset's beat fall upon his exposed skin, while his ears are attacked by the vary sounds the echo through the unusually loud town that is Royal Woods. He can smell autumn in the air and can taste the sweetness of Lori's kiss- their feeling ever brooding on his young lips.

In his daze, he steps into the Royal Woods Park. Given the time of year and day, there aren't too many people enjoying the weather, though there are plenty of couples sitting upon the pristine grass, watching the sun as it's makes its daily descent.

 _"Lori... why did everything have to go right? If everything fell apart then I wouldn't feel this way!_ " he hops onto one of the park benches and covers his eyes, seemingly trying to hide his confusion with tears.

*Sniffle*

"Huh?" The young boy breaks from his confusion and begins to scan the area, _"Who's crying?"_

*Sob*

Suddenly, Lincoln turns to the source- a familiar Latino boy clutching a small photo. "Sniffle..."

"Bobby?" Lincoln tilts his head in confusion, while making sure to scoot closer to his friend, "What's going on?"

Quickly, the Latino boy shoves the photo in his pocket and wipes the tears from his eyes, "Oh, hey Michael, it's nothing..."

 _"Did something happen between him and Carol?"_ Lincoln comes to his side, "You sure? I mean... you're crying alone in the park."

"Yeah." He waves the white-haired boy off, though he chooses not to look him in the eyes. "A guy can't wanna have some peace and quiet for once?"

"He can." Lincoln sighs, _"Something must've happened between him and Carol..."_ he mentally kicks himself, _"Dangit, I knew it wouldn't work out!"_ And so he asks, "Ok... how's Carol doing?" Lincoln smiles, desperate to lighten the mood.

Bobby shrugs, "She's doing all right. We just came from a date and stuff." He puts on a fake smile as he turns to his friend, "I'm over Lori now thanks to her... thanks for it Michael."

 _"He's lying..."_ Lincoln's smile begins to fade as well, "That's great!" His chest begins to ache even more, "I wish you two the best!"

"Thanks." He chuckles, before looking away from the boy once more, choosing instead to simply stair at the grass ahead.

Lincoln sighs with that and follows his lead, causing a soft silence to overtake them, _"I go back in time and now everything is falling apart... I'm dating my sister, and I don't even recognize me from the past!"_ He turns back towards his companion, "Hey Bobby... where's Ronnie Anne? Doesn't she always follow you around and stuff?"

For a moment, the young boy remains silent, seemingly hesitating on even answering the question. And yet, after a few moments, he sticks his hand in his pocket and pulls out a small photo. He stares at it for a moment, and let's out a sigh, "She's with our father."

Lincoln raises an eyebrow in curiosity. Despite all of the time they spent together, Ronnie Anne never mentioned her dad!

"You see... my mom and dad 'separated' a few years after she was born." He stares at the photo, "And well... I only get to see her when her classes go out."

"And when does that happen?" Lincoln raises an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Once a month." He shakes his head, "I would say more about how it all ended up like this, but... that's personal. Just know that, well... if I didn't 'man up' while he was around then... maybe I wouldn't be telling you any of this right now." He then looks up at Lincoln, "Michael, Lori is the nicest girl I know. She was around when no one else was." He then turns the photo toward Lincoln, "But Ronnie Anne... she's the most important girl in my life." He then looks back at the photo, "I miss her..."

For a moment, Lincoln remains silent, seemingly unsure of just how to respond to his companion's words. _"He's forcing himself into a relationship with a girl he doesn't like... just because she looks like the girl he loves. And then he hides what he really feels, because he worried... no wonder he has had problems trying to ask her out!"_

"Wow... I don't know what to say." The white haired boy simply leans back, _"Maybe there's more to me going back in time than I thought... maybe I don't just need to go back to help Lori and Bobby get together... but I also have to help him grow and open up..."_

"There's no need." Bobby smiles and hops to his feet, "I've really wanted to get that off my chest for a while... thanks for listening."

"No problem." Lincoln smiles in return, "And don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks." The Latino boy responds, before turning and walking away, towards the setting sun, allowing Lincoln to lean back in the bench once more.

He thinks for a moment, " _This is more complicated than I thought... I need to talk to them about it all."_ And with that, he raises his communicator and dials once more. _"Maybe in destined to stay here after all... things are going so well and it looks like everyone needs me around! Maybe Lisa will know more..."_

A moment of ringing passes, before the four-year-old answers, "Hey Lincoln, what is going on?"

Now, Lincoln considers going with a long conversation- after all, there's so much he could talk about! And yet, he simply opts to get to the point, "Can you get me home, Lisa?"

"Of course brother, I just need some time to-" The young scientist speaks with a soft, understanding voice.

Yet, before she can finish, Lincoln cuts her off, "Lisa I'm serious. I don't want empty platitudes. I need you to be completely straight with me. Can you get me home anytime soon? Do you have an idea on how to do it?"

For a moment, Lisa remains silent. In her four years she had been challenged countless times to prove herself, and every single time she had found a way to succeed. And yet, despite this fact, she finds herself simply twiddling her fingers, unable to look her brother in the eyes, "No…"

Silence overtakes the duo after that.

" _Am I really going to do this?"_ He sighs, "Lisa, I've been thinking and well…"

"Yes?" The young girl raises an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Well… I've decided that I'm not gonna sit around just waiting for you to pick me up guys. If I'm gonna be stuck here, then I might as well start my life over." He then looks at her with a smile, "Don't worry, I'll be-"

Yet, unwilling to let him finish, the young scientist slams her hands against the desk, "Lincoln you can't just keep doing what your doing! We can get you home! I can save you! It'll just take some more time!"

"What makes you think that?" The young boy looks at her in frustration, "You can't even give me an exact amount!" He flared his free arm, "What if it takes you a week, a month, a year or even an entire lifetime?!"

Lisa remains silent, unsure of just how to counter his argument, "I'll cross bridges when I come to them… I guess it's just better this way. I'll see you guys later, ok?"

"What do you mean?" Lola pushes her way into view, though, Lisa quickly pushes her away.

"What time is it on your end?" The boy wastes no time asking.

"It's June 18, 2017." Lisa responds, worry filling her voice.

"Then it means I'm taking the long way round."

*Ding* *Dong* the front door rings.

And with that, the communicator goes dead.

"No… it can't be…" Lisa's eyes go wide, before she and the rest of her family rush out of the room and run to answer it, _"I hope that's not him…"_

9 7-21-5-19-19 12-9-14-3-15-12-14 9-19 7-15-9-14-7 9-14 20-8-5 15-16-16-15-19-9-20-5 4-9-18-5-3-20-9-15-14 15-6 10-1-3-11 1-14-4 1-19-8-9.

 **A/N And there we go! I hope you guys enjoyed and I thank Wolvenstrom for his help!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Zoinks81: Don't worry, that's the point.**

 **DreadedCandiru2: 1) Some things never change 2) Lincoln is involved, that's all I'll say 3) Lunashy! Now time to write the fic! 4) And yet she is a girly girl here! 5) Yep! 6) Answered partly here.**

 **Finnjr63: Thanks mate!**

 **gamelover41592: Thanks!**

 **celrock: I'm glad you caught up, your support means a lot to me!**

 **364wii: So do I mate, so do I.**


	21. Shopping Buddies!

**A/N Man, I don't know why, but this chapter was so hard to write… I hope you guys enjoy it though! Welcome to the end of week 3!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 21: Shopping Buddies!

"No, no, no, no!" A panic fills the Loud House. Lisa wastes no time sliding down the railing, hoping to reach the front door before her siblings. Thankfully, all of the training she had undergo with Lincoln finally pays off, with her hopping in front of the barrier before the rest of the girls… who simply crash land behind her.

" _Please don't be Lincoln, please don't be Lincoln…"_ Lisa gulps and hops up to answer the door. _"Please… I can't fail to bring him back!"_ And with a turn and push, she opens the door… revealing Lori and Bobby- the duo carrying a set of bags in their hands.

"Hey girls, what's going on?" The young woman raises an eyebrow in confusion.

Instantly, the Louds breath a sigh of relief, though the fear that maybe they would be unable to save their lone male sibling still weighs heavily upon them.

"It's nothing." Lisa responds, waving the young woman off as she does so, "Did I get the materials I required?"

"Yeah." Lori hands over a bag, "If anyone needs me, I'm gonna be spending time with Bobby, all right?"

"Lori! How can you spend time with your boyfriend when Lincoln's stuck in the past?!"

"Don't worry dad, I'm gonna be here, in the living room." Lori holds her hands in front of her, prodding her father to calm down, "I'll be here if you guys need me for anything, ok?"

The Louds begin to whisper amongst themselves for a moment. At this point, Lori remains the only Loud sibling to not know about Lincoln's true whereabouts nor what he has been doing since he left.

And Lisa is going to do whatever she could to make sure she isn't going to find out.

Before any of the Louds can respond, Lisa grabs the supplies from her sister, "Very well. Please, do not disturb me while I work on Lincoln's path home." And with that, she heads upstairs, _"I just hope that I'm not too late…"_

" _I wonder what's going on with her…"_ Lori thinks, before shrugging and hopping on the couch, while the rest of her family begins to fill the house with their typical chaos.

 _ **The Next Day…**_

" _All right, I just gotta get Clyde his own Pig Card."_ Lincoln takes a deep breath, "Welcome to Royal Woods Mall, Clyde!"

For a moment, the young boy looks on in amazement, before his jaws drop at the sheer size of the building compared to his own, "Wow! This is amazing!" he looks at the young boy holding onto him, "Are we going inside?!"

" _I'm doing this for the future…"_ Lincoln cracks a smile, "Of course, I've got a special place to bring ya, ok?"

"Ok!" Clyde cheerfully responds, before the duo enters the mall.

And a few moments later, they're opening pack after pack, searching for a single piece of cardboard.

"Come on, there has to be a Pig in here somewhere!" Lincoln grimaces in frustration, "I mean, come on! This can't be that hard!"

"I don't know what to say…" Clyde looks down in disappointment, "I went through all the packs you gave me and well… there's nothing in them…"

" _Dangit… maybe Clyde was wrong about pulling the card, maybe we just bought it separate… then again, they don't sell the ultimate rare version of it…"_ He sighs, "Well…" he grabs the last pack, "I guess that's it then… we…" He then carefully tears through its plastic, allowing a strange shape to come into view.

The duo's eyes go wide in surprise, before Lincoln holds up thee lone card they were searching for, "We did it!

And Clyde hugs Lincoln, smiling as he does so, "Thanks Michael!"

"No problem, Clyde." And Lincoln returns the embrace.

 _ **Later…**_

"All right now, hold onto our cards, will ya?" Lincoln smiles as he begins to tie the bag of cards onto Clyde's wrist.

"All right! I'll guard these with my life!" The younger boy responds, much to Lincoln's amusement.

"Hey Michael!" A familiar voice calls out, prompting the young boy to look up at the source.

"Oh, hey Lori!" He cheerfully responds, taking the moment to finish tying the bag of cards the Clyde's hand as he does so. "Careful with these now, these are expensive pieces of cardboard."

Clyde gives a quiet nod, prompting Lincoln to turn back to his girlfriend.

Quickly, the young girl rushes over to her boyfriend, causing her to drag a certain young boy with her, "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing much." Lincoln runs his head the dark-skinned boy's hair, "I was just buying some Card Wars Cards for this kid right here."

"Oh?" Lori raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "And who might you be?"

"I'm Clyde!" The young boy flares his arms in an attempt to emphasize his point, "And Michael is my big brother!"

Instantly, the younger Lincoln looks on in surprise, though his companions don't notice.

"Heh, got an explanation?" Lori smiles at the white-haired boy, "You know for..."

Lincoln simply waves her off, "I've been staying with the McBrides while I wait for my chance to come home." He rubs the back of his head, "Things started going crazy there..."

Lori raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "Oh? Why's that?"

"Simply put, your mother was right about listening to my sisters' advice." He shakes his head, "and after what happened with me ending up in your room, well, I'm gonna stay away from them and their advice for a while."

"I don't blame ya." The young girl shrugs, "Lincoln and I were just working on getting my stuff for the dance..." she looks into his eyes, silently prodding him, "Wanna come with?"

 _"Well, it's not like I'm gonna be going home any time soon..."_ Lincoln shrugs, "Sure, it couldn't hurt."

"Yay! Lori cheers, before grabbing onto the boy and pulling him along, leaving their younger charges to follow them.

Lincoln stares at Clyde for a moment, before sighing and walking along, the dark skinned boy following soon after.

And soon enough, they're sitting in a clothing shop, while their older counterparts simply begin to go through possible outfits.

"It must be nice, having a big brother and stuff..." Lincoln sighs, "I'm alone..."

"Why do you say that? Clyde tilts his head in confusion.

"I have six sisters, that's why." The young boy simply looks down at the floor, "and my mom is going to have two more girls soon too!"

For a moment, Clyde remains silent, unsure of just how to respond, "Wow..." he rubs his arm, "I don't have any siblings... and my dads told me that Michael is going to leave soon..."

"Still... he's around now... he's like the brother I never had..." he turns to the dark-skinned boy, "Right?"

Clyde shrugs, "I wouldn't know..." he turns to face his companion, "But... I do know what it's like when he's not around..."

"What do you mean?" The young Lincoln tilts his head in curiosity.

"My dads... they aren't around that much, and well... I may have a big house all to myself, but it gets really lonely, ya know?"

"Heh, I have the opposite problem." The young boy shakes his head, "I'm never alone because of my sisters, but none of them like what I like..." his gaze softens, "It's like I'm alone in a full house."

"What do you like?" Clyde tilts his head in curiosity.

"Card Wars, Ace Savvy, some cartoons." Lincoln shrugs, while his companion's eyes begin to go wide in surprise.

"You do?!" He shouts, "I like those two!"

"Really? You read Ace Savvy?" Lincoln tilts his head in curiosity.

Clyde nods, "Yeah! One-eyed Jack is my favorite character!"

The young Lincoln's heart begins to race. After all the wars he had spent alone, he has finally found someone who likes what he does! And he is not going to let the opportunity escape him. "Hey, do you remember when-"

 _ **Later...**_

"All right, see ya Lori!" Lincoln quips, dropping their shopping bags in the doorway as he does so, "That looks like everything, right?"

"Yep." Lori nods, hugging him as she does so. "I'd kiss you as a reward, but my dad is serious about sending me to a convent."

Lincoln chuckles, "Heh, all right then, all right." He hugs her back, before breaking the embrace and grabbing Clyde's hand, "Say bye Clyde."

"See ya later, Lincoln" The dark-skinned boy declares, "I'm gonna find you at school!"

"Same!" The young Loud cheerfully replies, before the two turn and head off.

"So, you like Lincoln, huh?" The older boy quips.

"Yeah! He was awesome!" The younger boy smiles, "I don't feel so lonely anymore.

 _"Dangit, I can't believe I forgot that Michael got Clyde and I together!"_ he mentally slaps himself.

"Oh, and Lincoln told me that if he had a big brother, he'd want him to be just like you!" Clyde adds, flaring his free arm as he does so.

 _"Heh, that's good. I became something younger me would've loved to look up to."_ Lincoln rubs Clyde's head again, "Tell me more later, ok? I wanna get home before it gets too dark."

"Ok!" The young boy cheers.

And with that, they head off, trying to get home before the sun finishes its decent once more.

" _The dance is coming soon… I have to leave my mark…"_

20-8-5 2-5-7-9-14-14-9-14-7 15-6 20-8-5 5-14-4 9-19 21-16-15-14 21-19.

 **A/N Man, NaNoWriMo has finally gotten to me. Luckily, the rest of the story is mostly planned out! I thank Wolvenstrom for his ideas!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **That Engineer: Yep! Things are gonna come together soon!**

 **BoukenDutch: Some things never change mate. And I doubt he thought his decision through enough to realize a key fact like that.**

 **A.T. Gunn: Thanks!**

 **Zoinks81: Yeah! The door is like that letter!**

 **gamelover41592: Thanks and yeah, he is!**

 **Finnjr63: I wonder too.**

 **TheLivingMyth: Thanks! I'm glad you felt pleasure from it all!**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: Stay tuned for the answer!**

 **celrock: Yeah! Things are coming together nicely!**


	22. Coming Together

**A/N Hey Guys! In today's chapter, we'll see the final arc coming together! I hope you enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 22: Coming Together

" _So far, so good."_ Lisa breathes a sigh of relief, _"Lori suspects nothing, hopefully, and soon I will be able to…"_

"Hey Lisa, you busy right now?" Lori sticks her head in the room, before pushing her way inside. "I need to talk to you."

" _Just remain calm. She knows nothing of what has happened in the past few days."_ The young scientist turns her chair to face the young woman, "I was working on the code required to bring Lincoln back to our time, but I suppose I can pull myself away from this important work to assist you."

Quickly, the young woman looks back, careful to make sure that she is not followed, before closing the door behind her and leaning against it, "Lisa, what has Lincoln been doing?"

"Nothing of interest." The young scientist does her best to keep up her façade, "Why do you ask?"

"No reason." She stares at the young girl, prodding her to reveal the truth, "It's just, you all seemed worried when I got back and stuff… almost like you expected Lincoln to be behind that door."

"Do not worry, before you came home, Lincoln asked us for the date, we were just worried that he was actually behind that door." She mentally breathes a sigh in relief, _"We're going to save him, we're going to save him."_

"Ok…" The young woman hesitates for a moment, "Well… while he's waiting for you to bring him back, what is he doing to kill time?"

"Nothing much." Lisa looks away, _"Dangit, I have to cover for him! If she finds out the truth them I'm sure she's going to turn him into a human pretzel when he gets back, and I don't want to fire up the untangler!"_

She steps closer to the young girl, wordlessly asserting dominance over her, "Would you mind being more specific?"

"He's just spending time with Clyde and his fathers, you know, just having fun!" Lisa's smiles sheepishly.

"I see." Lori begins to rub her chin in thought. _"That boy six years ago… now that I think of it, he looked like Lincoln, right? No… it couldn't be…"_ She shakes her head, "Ok… well then, I guess that's everything I needed to know for now."

"Very well." Lisa then turns back to the console, breathing a mental sigh in relief as she does so, _"Phew, dodged a bullet there."_

"Just call if you need e to get you something else!" Lori calls out, before stepping out of the room, though Lisa doesn't respond anyways.

" _Lori still suspects nothing hopefully. I will have enough time to bring him back before she does so…"_ With a soft sigh, she taps at the console once more, causing a small phone to come into view, "Lincoln, we may have an issue…"

Just a few feet away, Lori pulls out her own phone as well as the family phone book. _"I have to find out what's going on, why isn't Lisa telling me anything about Lincoln? He's my brother too!"_ Quickly, she stops flipping when she happens upon the number she wishes to dial, _"I just hope Clyde doesn't go full robot on me before I can get some answers."_

*Ring* *Ring*

"Hello?" A familiar voice greets, "Who is this?"

"Hey Clyde, it's Lori." The young woman speaks with a begging tone, _"Please don't pass out on me…"_

"L-Lori?!"The young boy shouts, "Red-alert, red-alert, robot shutting down…" And with that, a loud *thud* echoes through the receiver, much to the young woman's dismay.

"Dangit Clyde, why did you even end up with that crush on me in the first place?!" She sighs, before flipping through the book once more, "I guess I just have to go find your dads instead…"

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"I fear that Lori may be suspicious about your actions the past few days Lincoln." Lisa declares, fear filling her voice, "And I may not be able to bring you home before she finds out."

"Don't worry Lisa, I don't think I have to worry much about that." Lincoln waves the young girl off with a smile, "After all, I'll just wait for the future if you can't get me home ya know."

"Don't say that!" Lisa slams her hands against the console once more, "I believe in you!"

"Yes, as if believing in someone is supposed to make their work do better than is physically possible." Lisa waves him off dismissively, "I have done my best to keep you safe Lincoln, now it is your turn to not mess anything up!"

"Already on it." The boy continues walking along just as he had done countless times prior.

"Howso?" The young girl raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "Surely you have not found a way home on your own?"

"Not a chance." He shakes his head, "I'm just getting things ready for the date Lori and I are gonna have."

"Date?!" Lisa shakes his head, "Why re you going on another date? You're supposed to leave her and help Bobby get her!"

Lincoln rubs the back of his head, "Well, it's not a date exactly… more it's just me taking her to the Sadie Hawkins Dance, like I promised I would."

The young scientist pinches the bridge of her nose, "If I remember correctly, something happened at that dance which resulted in you disappearing, correct?"

"You got it." The boy responds, coming up to the Loud House as he does so, "That means that gotta leave my mark in the past while I still can, all right?"

"This is the riskiest idea you have had in a long time, older brother, if it does not work you will be in for a world of hurt when you return home."

"I know." He sighs, before looking at his sister with a begging gaze, "But please, this has to happen the way she told me, or else I'll create a paradox or something!"

"Lincoln, that's not how time travel works! You literally can't change the past!" She flares her arms for emphasis, before rubbing her chin, "I believe that it is like that at least… I've done the math, but everything I've done has resulted in nothing occurring…"

"See!" Lincoln flares his free arm, before sighing once more, "Anyways, wish me luck, Lisa, I'm gonna go get things ready for the dance in a few days."

"Very well Lincoln, I wish you the best." The young girl then begins typing away at her console once more, before she grabs some random parts. The call cuts out with that.

Lincoln takes a deep breath, "All right 'Michael' you just gotta spend some time with the girl of your dreams and everything's gonna be all right." He walks up to the front door and knocks, _"Here we go."_

A moment of silence passes, before Lori answers the door with bright smile, "Hey Michael! How are ya?!"

"I'm all right, Lori." The white-haired boy smiles, "You ready to try on our clothes?"

"Of course!" She steps aside, allowing the boy to enter, "Plus, I got my brother and his new friend here for the day, so we have a captive audience!"

Lincoln smiles, "Awesome." Before he steps into the home and heads up to his companion's room.

It takes them a few minutes to get everything ready, but when they finally do so, they stand before the room's mirror, a certain ten-year-old looking them up and down.

"So, what do you think, Leni?" Lori tries to show off for a moment, though she knows that no showing off would work on her little sister.

The younger girl smiles, "I think it looks great on you sis!" She walks over and begins adjusting the dress, "Though, I feel like it's missing something…"

"Like what?" Lori tilts her head in curiosity.

" _Heh, I guess Leni really hasn't changed that much in the past few years, she's still the ditzy, fun-loving girl I remember her to be."_ Lincoln smiles while continuing to adjust his suit. As much as he disliked the idea of having to wear one, Lori is better at convincing than he remembers her to be.

"I know, sparkles!" Leni quickly grabs a box of glitter and throws it on her older sister, before shining a light on her new dress, hoping to illuminate the new accessories she had added.

Once his sight falls upon Lori, Lincoln's heart begins to race. Though she looks mostly the same- save for the new dress and the glitter in her hair, he doesn't care.

"Wow." The young boy goes in awe as he walks over and takes Lori in his arms, "You look amazing."

"Thanks." Lori blushes, "I'll look even better the night of the dance."

The boy chuckles, "So, what do you think Leni?" He turns to the young girl in his midst, "How do we look together?"

"Like you're gonna get married!" She flares her arms for emphasis, "I wonder if your babies are gonna have white hair!"

"Heh, maybe they will." Lincoln chuckles, turning to Lori, "Wanna go show these off?"

Lori nods, "I thought you wouldn't ask." Before she grabs her partner's arm and guides him over to the former linen closet where she knows her brother would be spending time with Clyde.

"All right, here we go." Lincoln knocks on the door.

A moment of silence passes with that, before the young boy with brown and blonde hair answers, "Hey you two, what's going on?"

The young couple poses for a moment, "We just wanted you to tell us how we look."

The young boy rubs his chin for a moment, before shrugging and smiling, "I think you look great!"

Suddenly, Clyde pops up from behind, "Hey, let me-" Yet, before he can finish his sentence, his gaze falls upon the young woman. Her soft blonde hair glows in the light of the linen closet window, while the glitter accentuates the look. "Ba-ba-ba."

" _Welp, I guess I now know when Clyde got his crush on Lori."_ The boy snickers.

"Uhh, Clyde, are you ok?" The young Lincoln pushes his friend, trying to snap him out of the trance.

"It's not gonna work." The older Lincoln steps forward and takes a knee in front of him, "He's gone bonkers."

"Is there any way to help him?" Lori tilts her head in curiosity.

"Yes." Lincoln chuckles, before hopping to his feet and offering his hand, "Let's get out of his line of sight."

"Heh, ok." Lori chuckles, "Afterwards, why don't we hang out with my sisters, I'm sure it'll be fun."

Lincoln hesitates for a moment, before smiling, "I'd love to." Though he can't help, but think, _"Let's see if I can't help my sisters become who they're supposed to be…"_

14-5-24-20 20-9-13-5 15-14 2-20-20-16: 12-9-14-3-15-12-14 16-12-1-25-19 12-25-14-14 9-14 3-8-5-19-19!

 **A/N And that's the chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: Thanks! Things are gonna get crazier from here!**

 **BoukenDutch: Heh,now Clyde has nosebleeds over Lori!**

 **DreadedCandiru2: Yeah, the way back has just gotten way more complicated!**

 **364wii: No worries mate, I've got ultra moon as well and I'm over-leveling my team, so that takes forever.**

 **Finnjr63: Thanks!**

 **gamelover41592: Heh, I'm glad you noticed!**

 **Zoinks81: Thnks!**

 **celrock: Friends for a long time! Am I right?!**


	23. A Father And Sporty Daughter

**A/N Happy Thanksgiving to my readers in the US! NaNoWriMo calls Thanksgiving an annoying day when it's nearly impossible to write, let's see if I can prove them wrong!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 23: A Father And Sporty Daughter

" _Well… I guess I'm here now."_ Lori sighs, before she steps up to the small door and knocks, _"I just hope they remember him too."_

"Who is it?" A young voice calls out.

" _Well this isn't gonna end well."_ The young woman shakes her head in disappointment, "Hey Clyde, it's Lori."

"L-L-Lori?!" Clyde shouts, before a *thud* echoes through the door, causing the young woman to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"Dangit." She shakes her head, before knocking again, "Mr. McBride! Are you there?"

"Yes!" A voice calls out, before scream echoes as well, "Clyde! What happened?!"

 _"Right on cue."_ Lori rings the bell once more. *Ding Dong!*

And within seconds, the barrier opens up, revealing a light-skinned man with orange hair. For a moment he looks at the young girl in his midst i1n confusion, before his expression softens in realization, "Oh, Lori, that's why Clyde passed out."

The young woman rubs the back of her head in embarrassment while her face goes flush, "Y-yeah... sorry about that."

Yet, Howard simply waves her off, "Don't worry about it."

"Thanks." She responds.

"No problem," his voice fills with an understanding tone, "What brings you to the McBride residence today?"

 _"Ok, Calm down Lori, this is serious."_ she hardens her gaze, "I need to talk to you about someone."

"Who?" The man tilts his wad in confusion.

"Did a strange, white haired boy come to stay with you six years ago?" Her voice fills with a serious curiosity.

"Yes." The man nods. "A boy came to stay with us for a few weeks and then disappeared after leaving one night."

"Did he tell you why he left?" Lori tilts her head in interest.

Howard shrugs, "Nope, all he told us was that things had cooled off at his home and he was free to return. That's the last Harold and I saw of him."

"Do you have any photos of him, or anything?" Lori leans forward, prodding the young man to affirm her request.

He nods, "Yeah, we took some back when he was playing with Clyde."

Lori begins to rub the back of her head, "I know this is strange but..." she softens her gaze, "Would you mind showing me the photos? It's extremely important that I can find whatever I can on him."

For a moment, Howard thinks, Clyde can't go more than ten seconds around Lori before he passes out. And yet, when he looks at her, he finds himself feeling the desperation she does. And so, with a single motion, he steps aside, "I don't see why not. I'll warm up some tea and grab the photo album."

Lori smiles, "Thanks so much!" Before she steps inside the home.

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

"So, who do you wanna talk to first?" A young Lori asks, wrapping her hand around Lincoln's as she does so.

 _"Well... Luna might need a little push, so how about-"_ yet, before the boy can finish the thought, a certain brown-haired girl steps out from her room holding a teapot and cup.

She puts on a rather pained smile, before she holds her wares up and asks, "Hey guys! Would you like to have a tea party with me?"

Instantly, the realization falls upon Lincoln, _"Lynn needs a push right now."_ and so, he smiles and nudges Lori, "Let's do it."

The young woman raises her eyebrow in confusion, "Uhh... why though? I mean, would you rather..."

Yet, before she can finish, Lincoln holds his hand up to her, don't worry, I wanted to meet your family, and what better way to do so than to have a tea party?"

Lori shrugs, "All right then, if you say so."

"Awesome." Lincoln smiles, and with that, the trio walks into Lynn's room.

Quickly, the young girl sets everything up, and has Lincoln and Lori sitting across from her.

"Would you like some tea, sir Lincoln?" The young girl raises the teapot with a smile.

"Sure." Lincoln offers his cup in response. And within seconds, warm tea begins to fall into his cup.

"There ya go!" She smiles.

 _"Something's going on..."_ Lincoln sips from his cup, _"But I have to find out what or else I'm not gonna get anywhere with her."_ he finishes sipping, "Hey Lori, would you mind grabbing us some water? I wanna talk to your sister for a second.

"Uhh, why?" Lori raises an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Yeah, why!" Lynn slams her hands against the table.

The boy shrugs, "I just wanna get to know her is all."

For a moment, Lori stares at her boyfriend. Yes, he had proved himself to be trustworthy so far, and yet... the fear still fills the back of her mind. Yet, without much of an argument, she stands up, "All right." Before she turns and heads out of the room, leaving Lincoln alone with Lynn.

"All right." the boy wastes no time turning towards her, "What's going on with you?"

"What are you talking about?" Suspicion begins to fill the young girl. Why did he want to be alone with her all of a sudden?

Lincoln leans back in his chair, "Simple, you look like you hate tea parties, and yet are still doing one." He motions towards her clothes, "And surprisingly enough, you look uncomfortable in that dress." He then leans forward and looks her in the eyes, "Don't worry, I promise I won't tell. I wanna help you."

Now, normally, Lynn wouldn't bother with a random stranger calling her out on her behavior- after all, she's strong and independent! And yet, when she looks into his soft, brown eyes, she finds herself calmed down- almost as if they had know each other their entire lives.

And so, with a sigh, she responds, "Its because it's what other girls do."

Lincoln raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "Oh? And why do you think you have to be with other girls?"

"Because..." she sighs, "All of my sisters love fashion and dresses and being girly and stuff..." she lowers her head in shame, "And not even my only brother likes what I do..."

 _"This is easier than I thought it would be."_ Lincoln offers her a cup of tea, "So what?"

"So?" She perks up, seemingly annoyed by the boy's curiosity, "I'm not like the other girls!" She flares her arms in frustration, "I'm outnumbered five-to-one!" She then rubs her arm and looks away, "And dad doesn't want a girl who's not willing to carry on the name... right?"

 _"If my memory is right, dad would love to have a child that plays sports."_ he hops to his feet, "Come with me, we're ditching this popsicle stand."

"Wha-what do you mean?" Lynn's voice fills with nervousness.

"You and I both know that this tea party is boring, so we're gonna go do something fun, if you don't mind of course."

The young Lynn hesitates for a moment, before sighing, "Ok..."

"I'm back!" Lori declares, before handing water bottles to the duo, "What'd I miss?"

"Oh nothing much." Lincoln hugs Lori, "we're planning on going to have some fun, do you mind?"

"Not at all I guess." The young girl returns the embrace, allowing Lincoln to whisper, "I need you to get your dad to watch us, ok? I'll explain later."

"Ok..." Lori goes in confusion, before her boyfriend and Lynn head downstairs.

 _ **A Few Minutes Later...**_

"Dad! Come on! You gotta see this!" Lori pulls her father along, excitement filling her voice.

"Ok! Ok!" Lynn Sr. shouts in reply, "I'm coming! I'm coming!" his daughter pulls him into the dining room and stops when he's in front of the backdoor, allowing him to peer through the window. _"I wonder what's got her so riled up."_

For the next moment, the man simply watches, and what he sees causes him mouth to drop in surprise.

Nearby, Lynn plays with the young boy who is dating his daughter- with the duo simply running around passing a ball along. Lynn Sr. watches as Lynn dives in the mud to get catch the ball, only for 'Michael' to easily receive her counter and declare his victory… not that the younger girl cares much.

Suddenly, Lynn Sr. finds himself opening the door to the backyard and stepping through, a soft smiling beginning to form on his face, "Lynn?"

Instantly, the young girl rushes to her feet and does her best to push the wet mud off her bright pink dress, "D-dad! This isn't what it looks like!"

For a moment, Lynn Sr. hesitates, before smiling and rubbing the young girl's head, "Oh, so I'm not seeing my awkward daughter having fun playing around in the mud?"

Suddenly, Lynn's tense nerves begin to die down, "Y-you're not mad at me?"

"Mad?" Why would I be?" he chuckles.

"Because I'm not like the others…" She rubs her arm in embarrassment. "I… I though that… well since no one likes what I do…"

Lynn Sr. squats down to his daughter's height with that and shakes his head, "Lynn, I love sports too, and was sad when Lincoln showed no interest in those things." He places a hand on her shoulder, "But you… you've made me the happiest father in the world."

"I-I have?!" Lynn smiles, "I don't have to wear this dress and I can play sports?!"

"Heh, only if you want to." The man stands up, "Now, how about we play some catch? It's nice to have someone who shares your interest in this small house, you know."

"I know the feeling." Lincoln quips, before turning around, "Go have fun-"

"Hey Michael, wait." The man turns towards the white-haired boy, "I was just wondering, how'd you know?"

"Know what?" The boy looks back, raising an eyebrow as he does so, "That Lynn would like something like this?"

The man nods.

Lincoln turns away with a smile, "Simple, I've seen enough to know where someone's talents lie." He chuckles, _"Though… bonds like that make me a bit jealous… especially since it gets stronger as time goes on."_

"Huh… interesting…" The man thinks for a moment, "Hey… do you do sports with your dad back home, Michael?"

The boy shakes his head in response, "No… unfortunately, my dad and I don't really have anything in common we both like… unlike him and my sisters…" His voice trails off.

The man chuckles, "Ah I see. Daddy's girls right?" The man smirks at the idea, "So I guess that leaves you as a momma's boy?"

'Michael' rubs his arm in embarrassment, "Well… some of my other sisters are closer to mom than dad, but yeah I'm close to my mom. Sorry if that isn't 'manly' or anything…"

The man simply waves him off. "Ha! I would. But I'd be a hypocrite for it."

"I guess you would be." 'Michael' asks in a burst of curiosity. "Are you disappointed by it?"

Lynn Sr. hesitates his answer for a moment, before sighing, "Maybe a little…" he then looks the young boy in the eyes, "It's just... I thought finally having a son for once might make give me an oasis in the sea of women in this house. You know, someone to talk sports or music with. Really get close to- like I was with my dad and he was with his dad… But I love him all the same."

"Wow…" He goes, "That's… I'm not sure what to say…"

"Neither do I." The man shakes his head, "He gets everything from his mother, that's why… and if he goes grey, he'll look just like her father…"

Lincoln feels a little sting with that. _"Yeah… just like me…"_ He then turns around and walks over to Lori, "Anyways, if you need us, we'll be working on some stuff for the dance, ok?"

The man considers chewing the duo out for a moment, before simply shrugging and turning back to his daughter, "No problem you two, just don't go too far!" Then he grabs the ball and throws, "Go catch!"

And Lynn responds by running for it once more.

1 2-15-14-4 2-5-20-23-5-5-14 6-1-20-8-5-18 1-14-4 4-1-21-7-8-20-5-18, 9-19-14-'20 20-8-1-20 14-9-3-5.

 **A/N Only 1 week to go! I hoe you guys enjoyed! I thank Wolvenstrom for his help! Also, as of this writing, I've fullfilled NaNoWriMo's terms of the challenge: I've hit 50k words!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **BoukenDutch: Yep, and now Lincoln will probably end up as a human pretzel!**

 **DreadedCandiru2: Don't forget just how crazy old Lori could be!**

 **celrock: Thanks! Things are really coming together!**

 **364wii: So can I mate, so can I.**

 **Zoinks81: I hope you enjoyed!**

 **gamelover41592: Yeah! Only 7 more chapters to go!**

 **Finnjr63: Thanks!**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: Basically, a stable time loop!**


	24. A Rockstar's Future

**A/N Man, what they say about NaNoWriMo and Thanksgiving is true after all. They just don't mix! I hope you enjoy this slightly short-than-usual chapter!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 24: A Rockstar's Future

"So, what sisters haven't we really seen lately?" Lincoln wraps his arm around his young partner, while rubbing his chin in contemplation.

"Well… we could go see Luan?" Lori suggests, motioning with her free hand as she does so, "She always loves having guests to tell her jokes to." She pauses for a moment, "By the way, thanks to you, she's been practicing more and more lately."

" _Heh, well then I guess I should give her some more time. After all, it's not gonna be fun to see her before she's ready for me."_ 'Michael' turns to Lori with that, "Well then, how about we go talk to your sister, Luna? I'm sure she'll be a fun one!"

"Are you sure?" Concern begins to fill the young girl's voice, "I mean… yeah, Luna's my sister and all and she can be loud when she wants to, but…" She begins to rub the back of her head in uncertainty, "She's not really the most… interesting sister I got."

" _Are we talking about the same Luna here?"_ Luna raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "Oh? And why do you say that?"

"It's just… she really doesn't do much besides sit around all day talking about boys and music…" She then shrugs, before standing up straight and finishing, "I doubt there's much you can get from that."

" _Well… if I've seen enough of my family, it's that there are hidden depths to everyone."_ He turns and begins to walk, "Heh, let's see if I can't prove you wrong then."

Lori watches for a moment, before shrugging and simply following along. "Fine then, it's your funeral."

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

" _Here we go."_ Lincoln knocks on the room door, causing a soft, "Come in!" to echo through the door. He pushes in, allowing a nine-year-old in a lavender dress to come into view. She leans back against the nearby wall, softly smiling as she listens to her music player. "Hey Luna, remember me?"

"Michael, right?" The young girl turns to face him, "You're Lori's boyfriend."

" _I still don't know how I pulled it off."_ Lincoln sits down on her bed and nods, "Yeah… I wanted to talk a bit, if you don't mind?"

She shrugs and pulls the ear buds out, "Sure I guess, what's up?"

"Wanna hang out a bit? Our treat!" Lori steps into the room as well, before she turns and leans back against the nearby wall.

"I guess… but what'll we do?" She raises her eyebrow in curiosity.

"Well… Lynn likes sports so…" Lincoln rubs the back of his head, "What do you like to do?"

"Lynn likes sports?" The young girl chuckles, "I always knew she had it in her." She then leans back and puts the buds back in her ears, "I'm not sure really… I'm not really interested in stuff…"

" _Well… she definitely needs a push or something to get her on the right track."_ The boy rubs his chin, "Really? You're not interested in anything?"

"Yeah." She shrugs, before sighing in defeat, "I'll be honest, we all knew that Lynn loved sports, we were just waiting for her to realize it." She then drops her back and lies down on her bed, "Meanwhile, I'm here and I don't even know what I want to do with my life!" she then raises her arm in an attempt to emphasize her point.

For a moment, Lincoln considers outright telling her what she would be good at, after all, by what she told him all those months ago, she became a musician after she went to a Mick Swagger concert. And yet, he relents, choosing instead to chuckle, "Don't worry Luna, I'm sure you'll find what you're good at soon."

He then hops to his feet, making sure to glance at her music player as he does so, "By the way, what are you listening to?"

The young girl shrugs, "Just some Fat Rat and Alan Walker. Nothing too outlandish."

"I suggest Mick Swagger. He's gonna rock your world." He then turns back to his girlfriend and walks over to her, whispering, "She's gonna do great things, I just know it."

"I guess." Lori shrugs, before turning and stepping out of the room.

"Thanks." Luna shrugs, before returning to her music, allowing Lincoln to sigh, _"Mission accomplished. Only one more to go."_

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"Twenty-Fifteen… Twenty-Thirteen…" The red-haired man runs his hand along the rows of photo albums, searching for the one that his guest so desired, "Where is… Ah-hah! Twenty-Eleven!" The man pulls the album from the collection and gazes upon its cover for a moment. Like the rest of his books, it's a plain white binder with a picture of how Clyde looked that year taped on. _"Some things never change."_

With that, he tucks the book under his arm and walks into the kitchen- where a certain blonde-haired girl is waiting for him, "Well Lori, you're in luck. I was able to find the album after all." He then pulls it from his arm and hands it over.

Lori wastes no time rushing through it all, her mind fixated on the image of a certain white-haired boy whom she happened to have dated six years ago, _"Everything just seems too convenient, right? Lincoln can't have been him!"_ Her mind races faster than it has ever before hoping that the first love of her life and her brother are not one and the same.

"I know that you're really interested in finding out the truth and stuff, but uhh… I'm not sure that this is the best way to show that feeling, you know?" Howard's voice fills with confusion as the young girl scroll through the pages.

Eventually, she finds herself staring at a photo of the boy playing with a young Clyde, the duo engaging in something she seldom saw Lincoln doing- though they did it enough to warrant her remembering it all.

" _No… it can't be."_ Much to her dismay, the young boy is the spitting image of her brother- down to the chipped tooth and the orange polo he said would always bring him good luck. Her heart begins to race, while her mind flashes with the memories she had long-since forgotten.

" _He had spent time with me… we dated… kissed… and then he left me because… he had to go and I never saw him again…"_ Suddenly, the realization begins to overtake her, her eyes go wide and she slams the album closed, "Thanks I got exactly what I needed."

"No problem…" Howard goes with uncertainty as he takes the book from the young woman, "Would you like anything else?"

She holds her hand up dismissively, "No thank you, you've done enough." She rubs the back of her head, "Sorry about Clyde by the way… I wish he would stop fainting when I got around him."

The man sighs, "It's all right, it's all right. Just… try not to get into any trouble, ok?"

Lori simply nods in understanding, before she hops to her feet and rushes out of the home, her mind a buzz with countless thoughts- of the feelings she had and the joy she felt while around him, _"Michael wasn't like other boys… he loved me for who I was and he made sure to get to know my sisters… it was like he planned to stay longer than he did."_

More thoughts begin to come after that, _"But… he left after the dance… and I hadn't heard from him since… could that mean…"_ The young girl shakes her head, purging the thought from her mind, _"No… he can't be… I have to find everyone! I need to learn the truth!"_

And with that, she heads off on her way.

14-15-23 1-12-12 12-21-14-1 8-1-19 20-15 4-15 9-19 12-9-19-20-5-14 20-15 "6-18-15-13 20-8-5 2-15-20-20-15-13" 1-14-4 5-22-5-18-25-20-8-9-14-7 23-9-12-12 2-5 1-12-12 18-9-7-8-20!

 **A/N And there we go! Things are coming together nicely aren't they? I hope you enjoyed! I thank Wolvenstrom for his help!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **364wii: Some things will never change.**

 **BoukenDutch: Lincoln probably would prefer Lynn stay the way she is, though that's my opinion. As for the latter, well, you'll see what happens during that next chapter!**

 **gamelover41592: Heh it's a shame they can't do it like this back in normal time.**

 **DreadedCandiru2: Yeah! Wibbly wobbly, timey whimey!**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: Yeah! Only 1 more sister left!**

 **celrock: Same to you! Thanks!**

 **Finnjr63: I wish you the best as well!**

 **Yellowpikmin88: Heh, he has a lot to do when he gets back. That include kissing Lori probably and apologizing for breaking her heart.**

 **Zoinks81: People tend to focus on the sisters due to the show's premise, it's nice to see them bond I know. Thanks!**


	25. A Comedian's Advice

**A/N Man, those guys over at NaNoWriMo were right. It was hard writing the day after thanksgiving… getting a Chess account didn't help.**

Chapter 25: A Comedian's Advice

"Welp, I'm gonna admit this… Luna wasn't as interesting as I thought she'd be." Lincoln quips, disappointment filling his voice.

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Lori raises her eyebrow in curiosity, "Is it because she wasn't doing much or something?"

"You can say that." The boy holds his free hand behind his back, seemingly trying to calm himself down after talking to two of his sisters. _"There's also because back in my time, Luna is one of the best and most fun sisters I have and here she's just… flat… It's like they're two different people!"_ He mentally sighs, _"But I guess, that's what time does to people, huh? It changes them…"_

Lori looks at her boyfriend in concern, "Are you ok, Michael? You seem a bit… you know, like something's bugging you."

In response, the young boy puts on a soft, albeit fake smile to keep her calm, "It's nothing, really, it isn't anything." Though, he can't help, but think, _"Yeah… and in the future you never mention me or how the girls were impacted by what I do today… You really do change in the future…"_

"Ok…" The young girl softens her gaze and pulls him along, over to the room of her final sibling, "Don't worry though, I'm sure Luan has something more interesting for your tastes."

"Hopefully." Lincoln shrugs, _"After all, from what I've seen, she already has an idea of what she wants to do with her life… just like in present time."_

And so Lincoln and Lori step into the young comedian's room… only for two buckets of water to land on their heads.

"Luan!" Lori shouts in frustration, while flaring her arms, "Why's you dump water on us?!"

"Oh no reason." She waves her older sister off, "I know you're all wet and stuff, so I just wanted to make sure that you could hide it!"

Thankfully, Lori still has the bucket over her head or else she would be more embarrassed by that joke, _"Please be too innocent to get it, please be too innocent to get it."_

A moment of silence passes after that, with Lincoln doing his best to make sense of Luan's pun, though once the time elapses, he ends up with nothing, "I don't get it."

" _Phew."_ Lori breathes a sigh of relief, before pulling the bucket off her head, "Luan, what are you doing?"

"Oh nothing." She turns and hops into her desk, "I was just working on my new material! I've got a boost of creativity after your boyfriend came along!"

Lincoln tilts his head in confusion, "Why do you say that?"

"Simple!" She shoves her hand in the desk and pulls out a banana, "You were nice enough to give me some pointers!"

"Huh, well that's nice." He thinks for a moment, _"I already helped Lynn figure out what she wants to do, and I gave Luna a push in the right direction… maybe I should help Luan too."_ He walks up to her and squats by her side, "Well then, wanna work on some material? I'm sure that your next show is gonna be amazing!"

"No need! I'm already working on my next line of comedy!" She then pulls out a pencil and paper and taps her chin, "But… I'm not sure what pranks I can pull…"

"Heh, you wanna graduate to pranks, huh?" Lincoln chuckles, before patting her head, "Well I guess I can help you with that."

Suddenly, Luan's eyes go wide in shock, "Really?!"

The boy nods, "Yeah."

"Uhh, are you sure that's a good idea?" Lori cuts in, rubbing the back of her head as she does so, "I know that you mean well and all, but… Luan has the bad habit of going overboard when she tries to do something…"

Yet, undeterred, Lincoln simply waves her off, "Come on, it can't be that bad!" he turns back to the young girl, "Besides, she's got a big sister like you watching out for her."

For a moment, Lori hesitates. She knows Luan well enough that if someone put an idea in her head she would go out of her way to make it come true- without bothering to check for the consequences. And yet, her partner's affirming gaze seems to put her at ease for a moment, as if they both believe she can handle whatever prank Luan tries to throw at them. "All right, fine, go teach her."

"Yay!" Luan cheers, before grabbing onto 'Michael' and continuing, "So what pranks can we pull?!"

"Heh, well there's plenty we could do." He pats his head, "You can throw bananas around, place whoopee cushions when someone's about to sit or…" he rubs his chin, _"Now that I think of it, I wonder why Luan never does this…"_ He finishes, "Replace the shampoo with hair dye."

Immediately, Lori grabs the boy's arm, "All right, that's enough! You're gonna get her to turn the house upside down at the rate you're going!"

Lincoln chuckles, "Heh, sorry, sorry!" And with that, they leave the room, leaving Luan alone to think.

"Hmm, hair dye… that sounds like a great idea!" She snaps her fingers, before a devious smile forms on her face, "But what if instead of dying their hair one color, I dye it in a rainbow of colors!"

Meanwhile, Lori drags Lincoln downstairs with a smile. "Now go home! It's getting late!" the young girl chuckles, before hugging Lincoln, "Thanks for coming over, Michael." She nuzzles the boy.

'Michael' doesn't hesitate to nuzzle her back, "Heh, no problem. I can't wait for the dance."

The young girl then places a soft kiss upon his cheek, "Neither can I. Goodnight! And remember, be ready for the dance! We meet back here before we go!"

"All right, you got it Lori!" And with that, Lincoln nods and turns, before walking back along the nighttime path. _"Heh, let me call home, they're probably dying to here from me."_

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Lori kicks in the Loud House door, "Everybody! What the heck is going on with Lincoln?!"

Immediately, Lynn Sr. and Rita rush out of their room, with the woman holding up her hands in front of her, desperately trying to calm her daughter down, "Lori, hold on, there's nothing to get worked up over!"

"Nothing to get worked up over?!" She flares her arms for emphasis, "Six years ago I dated my brother for crying out loud!"

Immediately, the two parents look at each other, before turning back to their daughter, "How did you-"

"I went over to the McBrides, they have photos." She crosses her arms, "Now, I want an explanation and I want it now!"

"Well then it seems like I have no choice but to tell you, or so it seems." Lisa steps out from her cover and shakes her head, "With screaming like that, I'm surprised Lily is able to suspend consciousness as well as she is able to."

Immediately, Lori marches up the stairs and grabs onto her four-year-old sister, "Lisa, you've got thirty seconds to explain what's going on before I turn you into a human pretzel!"

"Simply put, in order to maintain a balance in the space-time continuum, Lincoln has done what has happened before." Lisa tries to explain, only for Lori to glare at her once more, _"I suppose that explanation was not enough for her."_

"Lori, please, calm down." Lynn Sr. rushes up the stairs as well, motioning for her to calm down.

For a moment, Lori stares into her little sister's eyes- their typical monotone replaced by a surprising fear, almost as if she herself had no idea if Lori would really turn her into a human pretzel.

" _Grr, I'm so angry! Why did Lincoln do all that? Why did he go out with me and do so much to get our sisters on the right path, only to leave?!"_ She takes the moment to calm down, only to steel her gaze once more, "Answers, I want them now!"

"Yo dudes! Lincoln's done with his date with Lori and-" Luna rushes out of Lisa's bedroom, only to stop when her eyes fall upon the enraged Lori.

"Well, finish your sentence." The young woman commands.

Luna nods, "He's on call right now, he wants to report what's going on."

As soon as she says that, Lori pushes passed her younger sister and rushes over to the monitor, "Lincoln! You've got some explaining to do!"

23-5-12-12 7-18-5-1-20, 12-9-14-3-15-12-14 14-15-23 8-1-19 20-15 5-24-16-12-1-9-14 12-15-21-4-3-5-19-20 20-15 12-15-18-9!

 **A/N I hope you guys enjoyed! Next chapter is gonna involve Lori and Lincoln! I thank Wolvenstrom for his help!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **DreadedCandiru2: Yeah, and now Lori is preparing to confront him!**

 **gamelover41592: Let's see where their ("non-violent") conversation will go!**

 **364wii: Yeah! She's now confused!**

 **Zoinks81: Yeah! It will be!**

 **Guest: It's in the works; currently the 1** **st** **draft is done. I plan to get it finished over winter break.**

 **BoukenDutch: Well I'll admit, this story runs on a stable time loop. The question is, how does everything come full circle? And yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if that is the case!**

 **Finnjr63: Thanks!**

 **celrock: Stable Time Loop! Thanks!**


	26. Talking To Future Lori

**A/N Here we go guys, welcome to the beginning of the end! I hope you enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 26: Talking To Future Lori

On a typical day, Lincoln would tell you that he isn't truly afraid of the challenges his sisters would throw at him0 whether they be big, small, angry or sad, he would tackle them head-on and do his best to survive in his huge family.

And yet, when Lori's enraged voice resonated from his watch's communicator, he finds himself trying to edge away from the source, though given where the communicator is, this proves to be futile.

"Well?!" She shouts.

Lincoln, once again, chooses not to respond- deciding rather that he would wait from his sister to calm down before he tries to talk to her, _"When in doubt, just give a girl some space and they'll probably calm down on their own… hopefully…"_

A few moments pass after that, before Lincoln can hear a soft sigh echo through the speaker, "Lincoln, I wanna talk."

" _That's my cue."_ Lincoln takes a deep breath as well, "All right Lori, all right."He scans the area around him for a moment, allowing his gaze to fall upon a small park bench. _"It's not much, but it beats having to stand while I explain everything to her."_

"You don't know how much I wanna turn you into a human pretzel right now." The young woman shakes her head in disappointment, "Lincoln, tell me the truth, what is going on?"

"Well… I went back in time is all, nothing big." The boy's heart begins to race, what could've happened that got her so riled up? Did Lisa tell her the truth about what he is doing?!

"I see, and well, would you mind telling me why you went back in time? I wanna make sure I have my reasons right."

Lincoln leans back against the bench in response. "I was curious is all… Lisa forgot to account for the way back though…"

"Uh-huh." Lori nods, "Well then what have you been doing while Lisa's been working on getting you home?"

" _She's suspicious… I have to make sure she doesn't get angry again or else she might not calm down and I will really have to put Operation: Go home The Long Way, into action."_ And so he puts on a sheepish smile, "Oh nothing, just spending time with young Clyde and having fun looking around what Royal Woods used to be like."

"I see." A soft pain begins to fill the young woman's voice, while despair soon follows, "Lincoln, did you meet anyone there?"

" _She thinks I'm the bouy who went out with her six years ago… dangit."_ The boy chooses to rub the back of his head and look away in response. "Yeah, I did. She's nice and all, but I know I hve to go home and stuff."

Lori remains silent with that, her mind now abuzz with thoughts. Normally, she'd react by screaming at him, after all, in house as loud as hers, if you wished to be heard, you would have to scream over everyone else!

And yet, she finds herself calm, her mind at ease while her chest aches in pain, "Michael?"

Lincoln's pupils shrink, "N-no…" His voice trails off.

"Don't lie to me Lincoln." Lori's eyes begin to fill with tears, "Are you Michael or not?"

The boy hesitates for a moment, _"I can't lie to Lori… I never could. She knows my tells too well…"_ Before he sighs, "Yeah Lori, I'm Michael."

Suddenly, the young woman's body grows weak. The boy she had first fallen in love with- had her first kiss with and had her first dance with, now stands before her, the only thing preventing her from embracing him is the small barrier that is time itself.

"Michael…" Her voice trails off, "I… so you're Michael… this whole time the boy of my dreams was my own brother…" She chuckles, "I can't believe it."

" _Well this is going better than I expected it to."_ Lincoln shrugs, "I can't believe I went back in time either. All I do know is that I'm dating you right now!"

Suddenly, the young woman clenches her fists, causing a soft, begging air to overtake her- its heat so strong that Lincoln can feel it dispite the fact that she is only an image on a small screen for him.

"Uhh, Lori, you ok?"

Soft tears begin to stream down her cheeks, before she whispers "Why Michael?"

"Why what?" The boy tilts his head in confusion.

"Why did you leave me?!" She half-yells, staring into the younger boy's eyes as she does so, "Yeah, I know you had to leave, but why'd you do it at the dance?! Why didn't you tell me anything besides you'd tell me when I see you again?!"

" _Just like what she said… I go home after the dance."_ The young boy holds his hand up, trying desperately to calm the young woman down, "Lori, I haven't gotten to the dance yet!" he rubs the back of his head, "To be honest, I've just been enjoying all the time I could before I left, ya know…"

For a moment, Lori remains silent, "You didn't answer the question." Before she continues, anger starting to fill her body, "You left me! We had so much fun! You gave the girls the push that they needed to figure out what they wanted to do with their lives, and then you just disappeared from my life!"

Of course, Lincoln had a protocol for absolutely everything- even when it was 'that' time of the month for his older sisters! And yet, he finds himself awestruck. Lori, of course, is one of his more emotional sisters- he knows that for certain. And yet, despite this fact, he finds himself unsure of just how to respond to her emotional outburst. From what he can tell, none of her arguments are directed at him; rather, she's throwing them at the boy he decided to create.

" _She's having trouble telling us apart too…"_ The boy sighs, "Lori… please, calm down."

"No! I'm not gonna calm down until you tell me the truth, Michael!" The young woman flares her arms in an attempt to emphasize her point, "We dated, kissed, cuddled, did everything couples do! You said you loved me and then left without telling me why!"

" _It looks like I have no choice then, huh?"_ The boy sighs, "Lori, it's because I had to go home."

"What do you mean?" She crosses her arms.

"Lori, I love you, I'll admit that first." He rubs the back of his head, "I know it's weird, you're my older sister you know, but here… you're like a whole different person…" He then looks her in the eyes, "And from the sound of it, you're having trouble telling us apart too…"

"What do you mean?" She raises an eyebrow in interest.

"I'm Lincoln." He points towards himself, "I used Michael because I needed a cover name…"

The young woman begins to loosen up, her mind beginning to race once more, _"He's right… if Lincoln really is Michael then… I fell in love with my brother…"_ She looks away, _"But, why don't I feel disgusted?"_

"I know it's confusing… but I really don't know how to explain how things are." He holds his hand in front of him, "Yeah, I know it's weird to think of me as your brother… believe me, I've been having trouble seeing you as a sister here…" He shakes his head once more, "But… this is just how it has to be, ok?"

"Michael…" Lori whispers.

"Lori…" 'Michael' responds, "What happened during the dance?"

The woman hesitates for a moment, before warm memories begin to flood "You were you. That's the only way I can describe it…" She blushes.

The boy hesitates his next actions. From what he can tell, he will leave Lori confused and uncertain, but open for Bobby to go with her. "Lori, I'm sorry I hurt you."

"You didn't hurt me." She doesn't hesitate to respond, "You left me without answers."

"I'm sorry for that too then." He sighs in defeat, "Please, I need your help to get through this all, ok?"

"Sure…" her voice trails off, "Just… give me some time… I need some time to myself ok?" She holds her head, "I need to let this all sink in."

"All right." The boy sighs, "Goodnight Lori."

"Goodnight… Michael…"

And with that, the call ends, leaving the young woman standing alone in front of the blank screen.

" _I think that went well…"_ Lori thinks, before taking another deep breath, _"I just… don't know what to say anymore…_ "

Her mother then steps forward, sporting a look of concern as she does so, "Honey, are you going to be all right?"

She nods in response, "Yeah… I just need to go think, all right?" She then looks at the toddler standing at her parents' feet, "Lisa."

"Yes?" The four-year-old tilts her head in curiosity.

"I need you to tell me when Lincoln is about to go to the dance. I need to be there to make sure things happen the way they're supposed to, ok?"

She nods in response, "Very well sister."

"Good." The young woman then steps passed her family, soft pain beginning to fill her chest, "I'll… go to bed now, ok? I need to think about stuff."

"All right, you go do that." Lynn Sr. breathes a sigh of relief. Yeah, he knew how much Michael leaving her hurt everyone- even him, despite how much he argued that the boy had had no impact on him- after all, he's the reason that he and Lynn Jr. have the bond they do!

And yet, he finds himself sighing as well, _"I wonder if things could've been different."_

Meanwhile, Lori simply steps into her room and hops on the bed, " _I wonder if I can change things…"_ She shakes her head, _"But then… I wouldn't go out with Bobby, and I'm happy to have him as my boyfriend…"_ She slams her head against a pillow, _"Why is this so confusing?!"_

She then looks up towards the rising moon, _"I just hope the dance will go just as it did…"_ Before she closes her eyes and drifts off into a nervous sleep.

23-15-23 9-20 18-5-1-12-12-25 12-15-15-11-19 12-9-11-5 12-9-14-3-12-15-18-9 13-9-7-8-20 2-5 1 20-8-9-14-7…

 **A/N And there we go! I hope you guys enjoyed!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Zoinks81: I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Yellowpikmin88: She was, I think…**

 **BoukenDutch: Heh, I think he'll still be willing to go home after all!**

 **gamelover41592: Luckily he's still alive!**

 **DreadedCandiru2: 1) Or maybe he remembers, but knows it must happen. 2) Heh maybe, maybe.**

 **painfulldarksoul: "One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it".**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: Yep! Now Lori's involved!**

 **Finnjr63: Yeah! Thanks!**

 **celrock: Yeah! Everything's coming around full circle!**

 **Guest: I think it's more like she misses him than forgot what he looks like.**


	27. The Sadie Hawkins Dance

**A/N It's the final countdown! Only 3 more chapters remain and only 3 more days are left for NaNoWriMo! If my math is right, you guys are really excited for what's going to happen in both this and next chapter! I hope you enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 27: The Sadie Hawkins Dance

" _All right Lincoln, all right, you're going to the Sadie Hawkins Dance with the most beautiful girl you've ever seen… who just so happens to be your sister…"_ Lincoln takes a deep breath as he approaches the Loud House door, _"But she doesn't know that, and she won't find out for another six years…"_ He gulps in fear.

Despite what many would suspect, Lincoln finds himself nervous not because he is going out with the girl of his dreams nor because he fears what chaos associating himself with the Loud family would bring, but because of what must happen if time is to remain as it is. _"If I wanna go home and make sure that everything falls into place, I have to leave Lori at this dance…"_

Silently, he sets his watch to one-way mode, allowing him to call for help or let them listen if need be, but no response would occur.

His chest begins to ache, _"Come on Lincoln, you can do this, she's your sister for Pete's sake! You can't keep going out with her, you weirdo!"_ He holds his hand up to his heart for a moment, allowing the pain to numb, _"If this is when I have to let Lori go then… I might as well make the most of what little time I have left with her."_ And with that, he takes one final deep breath, before knocking on the door.

A moment passes with that, before a certain young boy answers the door- a soft smile upon his face, "Hey there, Michael."

"Hey Lincoln." The white-haired boy greets, "Is Lori ready?"

The boy shakes his head, "She's putting her clothes on right now, she's probably gonna be ready in ten minutes, so why don't you just wait for her on the couch?"

" _Heh, really, some things never change."_ Lincoln shrugs, "Sure, why not, I'm sure you guys have some stuff you wanna tell me before I go out with your daughter slash sister."

"Yeah." Quickly, the younger boy looks from side to side, before leaning in close to the older boy. "If you break her heart, I will find you and I will make you pay!"

" _I used to be really cute when I tried to be threatening."_ The older boy pats his head, "Don't worry, if I did do something to hurt her, I'd make sure that you did." He then steps passed the younger boy, "I don't know what I'd do if I hurt her…" Though, he can't help, but think, _"Yeah… it's a shame I'm gonna have to do that to maintain the timeline…"_

"Michael! You're early!" A soft voice calls out, causing the young boy to turn towards the Loud house stairs.

At the peak stands Lori Loud, dressed in an elegant light-blue dress. Her hair- despite its typical mess, is now filled with flowers, though from what Lincoln can see, they're attached to a small hairband that almost blends perfectly. She sports a soft, joy-filled smile as she descend the stairs, making sure to hold on to the railing as she does so, "You ready for this, Michael?"

The young boy offers his hand to her, "Of course, m'lady." He then pulls Lori in close as soon as she takes it, "I wouldn't miss this for the world."

Lori chuckles, "You clean up nicely."

"Heh, I've got a girl to impress, now don't I?" He chuckles, "And I don't wanna be anything less than my best for you." He then turns and begins to lead her out of the home, "Now come on, if we're lucky, we'll be able to get their before the slow dance starts!"

Lori smiles and quickly follows, "All right!" before the duo bolts out of the house, leaving Rita and Lynn Sr. to stand up from the dining room table and follow them.

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

"Here we are!" Lori flares her arms out for emphasis, before breaking off from her partner and running into the fray, "Let's go have some fun!"

" _Yeah… just have some fun…"_ He mentally sighs, before following his partner, _"This isn't gonna end well…"_

For a moment, he claws his way through the crowd of children. Surprisingly enough, is looks like the whole student body came in for this single party! Though, that doesn't stop him from running into a certain couple…

"Hey Bobby." Lincoln greets, pushing and shoving some of the nearby students away to make space for them.

"Hey Lincoln." Bobby responds, "How are you enjoying the dance?"

"Heh, so far, so good." Lincoln chuckles, _"I need to get Lori with him…"_ Lincoln's chest begins to ache again, "How are you and Carol doing?"

"We're doing great, right Bobby?" Carol speaks up, nudging the boy as she does so.

Bobby nods in response, "Yeah." Though from what Lincoln can tell, it's an obviously faked sentiment, "We're planning on going out again after this dance is over."

"That sounds nice." Lincoln smiles, _"No… this is wrong…"_

"Anyways, we'll be around if you wanna talk." Carol then pushes Bobby away, the duo trying to get through the crowd as they do so… as well as allowing the snack table to come into view.

" _I need a drink."_ Lincoln sighs, before walking up to it. _"After all… it looks like I'm gonna be breaking two hearts tonight…"_

 _ **A Few More Minutes Later…**_

" _I don't know what to do anymore."_ Lincoln sighs, leaning on the stage as he does so, _"I have to leave Lori here, but… I don't even know if I can bring myself to do that…"_ He then takes a sip of his punch, the cool liquid forcing its way down his throat, _"Dangit… as much as I'm glad a parent didn't spike the punch bowl… I wish it was, maybe then I'd be able to get myself through this night better than I am…"_

"Hey there Michael." A man steps over to the boy, making sure to lean back against the stage as he does so- preventing Lincoln from seeing his face- not that he needs to. "What's going on?"

"Nothing much, Mr. Loud." The boy shakes his head, "I just wanted to go grab some punch before I went back to dance with Lori…"

"Oh really now?" The man glances at the younger boy, unfazed about his seemingly blown cover, "Then why are you standing around where she can't dance with you?"

"It's no reason…" he puts the cup down and begins to stare at his reflection in the red liquid, "I just… wanted to think, you know?"

"About what?" The man prods him, "Because you don't seem like the kind of guy to feel like he needs to think things through to get stuff done."

The boy hesitates for a moment. Yeah, back in his time he is the man with the plan- able to come up with ideas on the fly in order to survive living in his home. And yet, here, he had been working off the cuff, completely out of his element, "I'm not… I just… I'm not sure what to do…"

The man crosses his arms in response, "Heh, it's a little late to get cold feet, kid. You've taken her this far, so why don't you go make sure that this night is the ebst it can be?"

" _Easy for you to say."_ The boy hesitates for a moment, _"After I dance with her, I'm gonna have to leave…"_

From his silence, the man can tell that there is something more on his mind. "Michael, don't worry so much."

The boy doesn't respond.

"I know that being in a relationship is difficult. And taking it where it needs to go is even moreso" The man smiles at the boy, "But I tell ya, in the end, it'll all be worth it." He then pats the boy on the back, "You already know what to do, so go dance with her. It'll your last chance to do so for a long time."

For a moment, Lincoln remains silent, _"He's right… I have to make the most of what little time I have with her…"_ He then turns back around, allowing his gaze to fall upon a certain blonde-haired girl, "Thanks for the pep talk. I will, Mr. Loud."

"Good, now take good care of her." The man commands.

Instead of responding, Lincoln simply nods, before running for the girl, holding up his communicator as he does so "Lori, I need you."

A few feet away, the same man smiles for a moment, before turning and walking over to another boy- this one Latino and simply smiling as he talk to his young partner.

"I gotta use it. BRB." Carol declares, before turning and bolting out of the gym, leaving Bobby alone with the man.

"You know, she's gonna find out you're lying." The man greets.

Instantly, Bobby turns around in surprise, "What the- what are you talking about?!"

In response, the man simply leans back against the stage once more, "Are you happy?"

"What the… what kind of question is that?" The Latino boy raises an eyebrow in confusion, "Of course I'm happy!"

The man grabs a nearby cup and begins to drink some of the fruit juice-ginger ale mix, "That girl of yours, is she the love of your life?"

"Yeah, I like her, she likes me. We're happy together." He looks on in confusion, "Why do you ask?"

"Heh, well then if she's the love of your life, then why haven't you been looking at her all that much?" The man glances at him, a snicker coming into view.

"W-what are you talking about?" Bobby crosses his arms, "I've been-"

"Look, kid, she's not here. You can tell me the truth." He shakes his head, "But don't lie to yourself, you don't truly love her, do you?"

For a moment, Bobby remains silent. He started dating Carol because she liked him, right? Yeah, and she looks… just like Lori.

"Losing the love of your life, your true love, is hard enough. But it's even worse when you string someone along for the ride. In the end you'll end up hurting both them and yourself."

Bobby sighs in response, "So what do you want me to do?"

"Tell her the truth." He takes another sip, "And then confess to your true crush."

"B-but she's-"

He cuts him off, "Even if she says no, it'll at least give you the chance to move on. At least you'll know what she thinks of you." The man then begins to step forward, "Give it a shot. It won't hurt much."

And with that, Bobby stands alone, his gaze now fixed on a certain girl as well, _"He's right… I… I have to tell the truth…"_ He then takes a deep breath, before Carol walks over to him.

9-20 9-19 20-9-13-5 6-15-18 20-18-21-5 12-15-22-5 20-15 18-5-22-5-1-12 9-20-19 20-18-21-5 6-15-18-13.

 **A/N Don't you just love cliffhangers you guys? After all, you're not gonna have to wait too long to see the climax of this story! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and I thank Wolvenstrom for his help!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **gamelover41592: Remember, everything runs on a time loop… so who knows, maybe Lincoln will break the cycle!**

 **That Engineer: Yeah, she's still too torn up about it to really go that far.**

 **Hot Sauce: Maybe this is the first time, maybe it's not. Also, Michael was the first name that came to him is all.**

 **DreadedCandiru2: That's why he's so torn up about this whole ordeal!**

 **BoukenDutch: All we can do is wait and see!**

 **Yellowpikmin88: Yeah! But that's gonna be hard when they're the same person.**

 **364wii: This entire story is made of "what if's" it's nice to see different things and just roll with them.**

 **TheLivingMyth: Uhh… I have fanfiction writer insurance! It doesn't cover anything and is made up, but I have it!**

 **DarthSidous04: She's a 4-year-old genius, she probably asked "Could I make a time machine?" before considering, "Do I need to make a time machine?"**

 **Finnjr63: Thanks!**

 **celrock: This is how it starts and you'll see its end soon enough!**

 **painfulldarksoul: Who knows? After all, "One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it."**

 **Zoinks81: Thanks!**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: Time Paradox Enforcement Squadron and The Doctor, where are you?!**

 **JJ39: Yeah, the end is neigh!**


	28. One Last Dance

**A/N Man, I can't believe we're almost done already; it was just like… 28 days ago when I started! Haha, anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 28: One Last Dance

"All right Lincoln, what's up?" Lori speaks with a pained tone, seemingly already knowing what this call is for.

"Lori…" Lincoln hesitates, _"This is a horrible idea… maybe I shouldn't break up with her… after all, just because the 'future' happens doesn't mean it will always be_ _ **my**_ _future, right?"_ He looks away, _"I mean, yeah, being with Lori in the past would be awesome! I'd date a wonderful girl, be able to help my sisters become who they're supposed to be and be able to start my own life…"_ Yet, without a second though he continues, "I've getting ready to ask you out on the last dance, any suggestions?"

"Just be yourself." The young woman speaks with a soft, soothing tone, "I'm sure that no matter what you do, it'll be great, ok?" Though, the boy can tell just how much that hurts her to admit.

Suddenly, the once hard rock music begins to soften, signaling that the time had come for a very special part of the dance. _"That's my cue."_ And with that, he nods, "All right Lori, thanks."

"Don't break my heart too badly, you hear?" Lori puts on a pained smile, doing her best to keep the mood as light as possible.

In response, Lincoln simply smiles as well, before nodding, "I'll do my best." Before he shuts off the communicator once more and takes one final deep breath to steel his nerves _. "This is how it must be."_ With that, he slowly steps towards his date.

In the next moment, the world seems to slow down, as if begging him to reconsider his next actions- which of course, he does.

For a few seconds, he imagines what life with Lori could be like. He'd help her and the rest of the Louds grow; she would give him the love that he had begun to enjoy from her. Yeah, he would have to convince the McBrides to let him stay, though offering to take care of the house in exchange for room and board wouldn't be too hard, most likely. Their lives would pass by together, their feelings growing every moment. He can see them going to prom together, dating some more, going to the same college. Then, when he finally manages to get a good enough job, he'd propose. They would start a family of their own; they would probably name their first daughter Loan!

 _"But, that's not the life that Lori deserves."_ He clenches his fists, _"Lori deserves a boy who is who he says and can provide more for her and the big family she will want when she grows up. Like dad said, a relationship built on lies will not stand..."_ he gazes upon his young partner, taking care to absorb her soft features, _"And I don't want Lori to suffer because of them."_

And so, he approaches his partner and offers his hand to her, "Ready to dance?"

Lori breaks off from her friends and smiles, "Of course Michael." She takes his hand, allowing the boy to pull her close, "Oh, hands on I see."

Lincoln chuckles, "My sisters always taught me that when you wanna dance, have no fear."

"One day I'm gonna need to meet your sisters." She pokes him on the nose, before wrapping her arm around his waist.

 _"You already have."_ Lincoln smiles, before pulling her along.

Instead of responding, Lori simply takes the motion with stride, allowing her to twirl over his hand for a moment, before she moved to rejoin him. "Heh, my turn." And with that, she tugs him along as well, waltzing with him.

 _ **"Take me to a place no ones ever been... take me to oblivion..."**_ soft music fills the gymnasium. _"_ _ **Come and fly away with me, they say that dreamers never die so come and fly, come and fly, come and fly away with me…"**_

Then, Lori smiles, before resting her head against his chest, though they continue to waltz. "You know Michael... every time I'm near you, I feel... at ease, like nothing will ever hurt me."

The young boy wraps his free arm around the girl, "And I love feeling your warmth." Though, he can't help, but think, _"Why are you making this so difficult?!"_

Suddenly, the song begins to speed up, its beat filling with life! _**"Every time I see it with you I say No, no, no…"**_

"Heh looks like the slow dance is over!" Lincoln breaks the hug, with Lori responding by holding on, "Spin me!"

"With pleasure!" Lincoln cheers, twirling Lori once more, before coming together, allowing Lincoln to hoist her up- if only for a second, _"Wow... love really does make you strong."_

And with that, the song's beat begins to slow down once more, though the duo simply continues to tango. _**"Summer in the hills… those hazy days are to remember, we were runnin' still, had the whole world at our feet…"**_ For the next few moments, the duo goes on like that, with neither wishing to speed passed the other as they dance. Their two bodies moving around each other like yin and yang.

Finally, the song begins to increase with volume and at the same time Lori leans in, allowing Lincoln spin her one final time, ending with her leaning back against his arm, the duo silently looking into each other's eyes. _**"I still hear you in the breeze, see your shadows in the trees, holding on, memories, never change…"**_

Wordlessly, Lori closes her eyes and Lincoln follows suit. And without a single thought, they kiss, their soft heats melding as one.

" _Memories will never change… and I'll never forget her…"_ With that, Lincoln's world begins to melt away. To him, everything feels right- as if this is how things are supposed to be. So what if his timeline didn't have them be a thing? Who said he couldn't change things? _"No…"_ Lincoln steels his nerves once more, before breaking the kiss, allowing him to gaze into Lori's eyes.

"You're amazing, Michael." Lori smiles at the boy once more.

With a soft sigh, the boy looks away, before hoisting his partner up and rubbing the back of his head, the warmth of a forbidden kiss boding ever so softly upon his lips. _Maybe… maybe I can make this work! I can… I can… no… it won't work…"_

"Is there something wrong?" She looks on in concern.

 _"I have to do it."_ Lincoln feel his heart break ever so slightly as he looks her in the eyes once again, "Lori, I know this is sudden, but... I have to go."

"W-wha, ok." She shrugs, "I guess we'll just-"

"No, it's not like that." He grabs her hands once more and looks away, unable to even look her in the eyes for fear of changing his mind, "There's a place I have to go and well... I'm not gonna be able to come back."

Lori responds by taking his head in her hand, "Then I'll wait for you."

"Lori, I'm sorry." He sighs, "I know that you're one of the most devoted people I know, but… where I'm going, you cannot follow and to wait for me is to waste your life."

"Can I at least see you off?" Fear begins to fill her voice.

"No." He breaks from her gaze, "I know how I'm getting there, but... you cannot follow." He sighs, "I'm sorry Lori, but just know that the time that we spent together, was the best time of my life."

"M-Michael..." tears begin to fill her eyes.

 _"Stay strong, you have to get through this."_ Lincoln fights the pain welling up in his chest, "But just know, there's a boy gonna come to dance with you in a few. He loves you with all his heart and will do anything to make you happy. Give him a chance ok? I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."

The young girl begins to cry, "Please, don't go Michael, I love you!"

"I love you too." The boy chokes up, "And I know I'm no good for you. You deserve someone better than me." He then hugs her once more, "I don't wanna go... but I have to..."

Yet, simply the young girl returns the embrace, her soft sobs hidden by the music.

And with that, he breaks the hug, "I'll never forget you Lori." Before he turns and bolts away, leaving the young girl alone, her arm outstretched, seemingly hoping to touch him once more.

Though they both know how futile that is.

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

"Carol, we need to talk." Bobby sighs, before leading the young girl over to behind the stage, giving them all the privacy he can hope for when trying to do what he is.

"About what, Bobby?" Carol tilts her head in confusion, "We're missing the dance you know!" She flares her arms in order to emphasize her point.

" _I have to do this, it's the right thing to do."_ The young boy takes a deep breath, "I'm sorry Carol, but I wanna break up with you."

Suddenly, the blonde girl's eyes go wide in shock, "W-what?! Why?!"

Bobby rubs the back of his head for a moment, before looking at her once more, "It's because… I don't like you for you…" he takes a deep breath, "You look like the girl I like… I tried to fill the aching in my chest by telling myself that you're a good enough replacement for her…"

"So… you didn't like me?" She begins to pout, pain filling her body.

"I think of you as a friend." He then grabs her shoulders, "You deserve better than me. I only went out with you because you look like someone else. And that's not fair for either of us."

Carol remains silent.

"I'm sorry." Bobby lets go of the girl, "I hope we can be friends."

In response, the young girl puts on a pained smile, "S-sure…" She playfully punches his arm, "Go get the girl you like now."

"Thanks." Bobby smiles, before rushing passed the girl and into the crowd, leaving her to cry alone.

" _I'm sorry Carol."_ Bobby pushes his way through the crowd of students, _"I have to find her, but where will I…"_

Soft sobbing cuts through the noise of the party.

" _That's how."_ Bobby steels himself, before rushing forward, following the soft sound. And soon enough, he stumbles upon the young girl, standing in the middle of the dance floor, desperately trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Lori?"

"What do you want?" The young girl cries.

"What happened?" Bobby tilts his head in confusion, "Where's your date?"

"He left me…" She cries, "He told me that… someone else was coming to dance with me… before he ran off…"

Suddenly, courage begins to fill the young boy's body, before he grabs ahold of Lori's hands, "Heh, I'm that guy."

For a moment, Lori considers arguing- after all, it all seemed too convenient, doesn't it? And yet, she finds herself coming close to the boy, choosing to cry into his chest. In response, Bobby simply begins to rock back and forth, urging her to dance with him.

A few more minutes pass after that, before Lori grabs onto his hands and begins to rock alongside him. And before either of them knows it, they're dancing together, the duo looking into each other's eyes.

And after that, they simply hug; no doubt there will be more to come given how the future turns out.

A few feet away, Lincoln stands by, simply watching from the safety of one of the tables, _"There we go, mission accomplished."_ He sighs, doing his best to fight the aching in his chest, _"This had to be done, this had to be done…"_

"Heh looks like Lori's happy." A familiar man walks over, his hood obstructing his face still.

"Yeah, Mr. Loud…" Lincoln sighs, "It was hard, but-"

"What do you mean you can't put on another slow song?!" A familiar voice echoes through the noise of the dance.

Suddenly, the young boy finds his gaze watching the Loud Parents while they argue with the poor DJ who no doubt is not being paid enough to deal with people like them. "Wait… my mom and dad are right there…" He turns to face the man, "Who are you?"

"Heh, took you long enough." The man chuckles, before removing his hood, allowing a familiar tuff of white hair to come into view.

20-23-15 19-15-21-12-19 20-15-21-3-8-5-4 2-25 20-9-13-5 13-21-19-20 16-1-18-20. 20-8-15-21-7-8 20-8-5 12-15-22-5 20-8-5-25 19-8-1-18-5-4 13-1-25 14-5-22-5-18 4-9-5

 **A/N And that's C28! Only 2 more to go before NaNoWriMo is over! I thank Wolvenstrom for his help and commend those who figured out the mystery man's identity when he first appeared!**

 _ **Songs referenced:**_

 **TheFatRat - "Oblivion feat. Lola Blanc" Link: (YouTube) v=Gc3tqnhmf5U  
** **TheFatRat - "Fly Away feat. Anjulie" Link: (YouTube) v=cMg8KaMdDYo  
** **TheFatRat - "No No No" Link: (YouTube) v=d0uFvhCHWCo  
** **TheFatRat - Monody (feat. Laura Brehm) (YouTube) v=B7xai5u_tnk**

 **Review Replies:**

 **gamelover41592: Thanks! And he needed all the help he could!**

 **Yellowpikmin88: Because he isn't.**

 **celrock: Thanks! I hope you enjoyed!**

 **DreadedCandiru2: Some things must happen some things may not, that's why time travel can get so confusing.**

 **364wii: So will I, I wrote it!**

 **BoukenDutch: Most likely that's just time anomalies causing him to say things without thinking. And maybe he does, I doubt he'd wanna see her cry!**

 **Zoinks81: Yeah, I think Lincoln wants to go home too!**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: And so many answers coming soon!**

 **TheLivingMyth: Don't worry, I'm already having enough trouble keeping the NaNoWriMo schedule, I doubt I'd be able to hold onto this for 100 days!**

 **Finnjr63: Thanks!**


	29. When The Past And The Future Meet

**A/N I'm glad people are enjoying the end of this story. And great news, C30 is already written since I overclocked last night!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 29: When The Past And The Future Meet

For a moment, Lincoln simply stares at the young man in his midst. From what he can see, he has light skin- though his face lacks the freckles that he had gotten so used to seeing. And much like himself, his hair is snow white, with a familiar three-pronged cowlick, which everyone could recognize him by.

"Hey Linc, what's goin' on?" The older boy gives a shy wave, before turning back to the scene at hand, "Though, from what I can see, it looks like everything's finally come together, am I right?"

"M-me?" ˇhe young responds in shock, "You're me?!"

"Yeah…" he rubs the back of his head, "I think I should explain before we go any further. This is always the most awkward part of this conversation."

The young boy remains silent.

"So, what happens next is I do some stuff to send you home." He waves his hand for a moment, "After that, Lisa's gonna start working on the watch trying to figure out what I did, and in six years she's going to perfect the watch, which allows me to come back here to help you."

The young boy remains awestruck, unsure of what else to say.

So his older counterpart just shakes his head, "This is always the hardest part." He offers his hand, "Why don't you come with me and we can talk a bit more."

" _This is a horrible idea…"_ The young Lincoln sighs in defeat, _"But… it's not like I have a choice, now do I?"_ He then nods, "All right, me, lead the way."

And with that, his older self nods, before taking hold of his hand and leading him out of the school.

And within moments, they're sitting on the curb, gazing upon the endless cosmos above them… although the younger Lincoln chooses to let it seem that way.

" _I should've stayed with Lori… I could've made it work, right?"_ His mind begins to wander, _"All of those times I've spent with her… those were some of the best times of my life… she taught me what it was like to be in charge- to take responsibility for what I do… and I fell in love with her…"_

"Hey Linc." The young man rubs his younger self's back and speaks with a soft tone, "You all right?"

The younger boy turns to his counterpart, raising an eyebrow in annoyance, "I just had to dump the girl of my dreams, how do you think I feel?"

The older boy sighs in response, before turning away and looking towards the sky once more, "Don't worry Linc, you get over it… eventually…"

For a moment, the younger boy remains silent, before taking a deep breath, "Yeah, "I know. I think I'm over it aleady

"No." Older Lincoln cuts him off, "You're not going to be over it any time soon." He sighs.

"Why do you say that?" He looks away, _"Yeah, it had to be, this had to be."_

The older boy chuckles in response, before patting his younger self's head, "Simple really Linc. You want to be over it. You're trying to tell yourself that this had to happen. That logically your relationship with past Lori just wouldn't have worked out, no matter what."

His younger self remains silent, seemingly awestruck by the spot-on call out.

The young man sighs, "Right now, you don't see the version of Lori you were dating as your sister. You just have to convince yourself that Lori is your sister- albeit a close one, but your sister nonetheless, and everything will work out.

"That sounds… easy…" The young boy looks away, deciding instead to stare at a nearby puddle- though he finds himself simply looking at a reflection of Lori rather than his own.

"Everything sounds easy when someone says it aloud." He chuckles, "You and I both know that our plans seem easy when we say them, though they usually end up going awry."

For the next moment, the young boy remains silent, his chest still aching from breaking up with her.

" _This is always the hardest part."_ The older Lincoln wraps his arm around his younger counterpart, a soft smile already forming on his face, "If it's any consolation, I made sure that your time with Lori would've been one of the best times in your lives."

Suddenly, the young boy perks up, looking up at his companion as he does so, "Really?"

He nods, "Yeah." He sticks his hand in his pocket, pulling out a small wallet as he does so, "I'm the reason why you were able to catch Lori when she almost fell into the fountain." He chuckles, "Didn't you wonder where that ball came from?!"

Suddenly, Lincoln's eyes go wide in realization. He saw himself standing by after the ball hit Lori!

"And I'm the guy who gave you that money at the theater." His older self continues. "Remember that stupid fake voice I put on trying to make sure you couldn't recognize me?"

"Yeah…" Lincoln's heart begins to race. Everything his older self is saying is true! Had he not intervened when he did, he would've most likely gotten things done sooner! And wouldn't be feeling what he is.

"And let's not forget the arcade." He chuckles, "I challenged you to take on Lori."

"So what you're saying is, if it wasn't for me screwing up my plans to get Bobby together with Lori, I wouldn't be feeling like this right now?!" The younger Lincoln flares his arms, "What the heck man?!"

"Heh, it's because had you been able to succeed early, you wouldn't have a chance to bond with Lori when you get back." He then turns and looks his younger self in the eyes once more, "Plus, you pushed Luna and Lynn in the right direction and helped Leni and Luan in their crafts!" He then turns back to the starry sky with a smile, "I'd say making sure that everyone's happy is worth a little sacrifice."

"Yeah… I guess…" The younger Lincoln takes another deep breath, before pouting.

"Hey dude, don't worry. Everything's gonna be all right." He chuckles, "If anything, you're going home soon."

"Really?" He looks up, "How?"

The older boy pulls out a small chip and screwdriver, before he grabs ahold of his younger self's watch, "Simple, I'm gonna repair this… I hope that Lisa's instructions were right!"

"They probably are…" He sighs, "Well… while you're doing this, can I at least get some spoilers?"

"Of course." The older boy begins to tinker with the device, "Before you ask anything else, let me explain, this adventure of ours runs on a stable time loop. Everything that you and I have done has happened countless times before, and I had done it too, ok?"

"I think I get it…" Lincoln rubs the back of his head, before steeling himself, doing his best to put on strong front, "All right… we both know all the time travel tropes. There's stuff you can and can't answer because it's supposed to happen a specific way, right?"

The older boy nods, "Yeah, Lisa called it a 'predestination paradox'."

The younger boy then takes a deep breath, "All right then, I'll ask you questions, if you can't answer then just say 'pass' ok?"

The young man nods, "All right, start."

Given what just happened, the first question is obvious, "Does Lori stay with Bobby?"

The older boy nods, "Yeah, they're still dating by my point in time, though he proposed to her and she accepted."

The younger Lincoln's heart sinks ever so slightly.

"Don't worry mate, she's happy with him." The older boy pats his head, "You and I both know it was for the best."

"I know…" Younger Lincoln rubs his arm in nervousness, "Do I at least stay with Ronnie Anne?"

The older Lincoln considers the idea for a moment, before smiling, "I'll pass."

"Ok…" Though he hopes that that smile means the best, "Does Clyde ever get over Lori?"

"Yeah." He chuckles, "Make sure he talks to Paige more."

"Got it." The younger boy chuckles, "Does Luna ever make it big?"

"Yeah." He nods, "She ends up making an album with Mick swagger."

" _Awesome."_ Lincoln rubs his chin for a moment, "Well… this is gonna come up anyways, "Do I get any more sisters?"

For a moment, the older Lincoln rubs his chin as well, seemingly unsure of just how to respond to the question, "Hmm, at this point in time, you don't get any more sisters after Lily, though that's nothing saying about the future."

Younger Lincoln wipes the sweat from his brow, "Phew, it's hard to survive in a house with ten girls!"

"I know, I had to go through it all." He chuckles.

"Do Luan's jokes get any better?" The boy continues.

"By a mile."

Suddenly, Lincoln pats himself on the back, _"I guess my advice helped her after all."_ Before smiling, "Do you still sleep in the closet?"

The young man waves him off, "Pass."

"Can you tell me about prom?" Lincoln raises an eyebrow.

"Nope." He nonchalantly responds.

"Well… Do Same and Luna ever get together?" Lincoln's curiosity begins to peak, though his older self waves him off again, "Pass."

Finally, he sighs, "I guess that makes sense… do I ever get a real award in that case?"

He nods, "Yeah, you do actually."

"Really?!" Young Lincoln's eyes go wide in surprise, "For what?!"

"Your passion." The young man chuckles, "And before you ask, I'm not gonna tell you what it is nor when you find it."

Curiosity begins to fill the boy, "Are you just repeating what you were told by the older you when you were in my place?"

"You got it." He chuckles in response, before popping the final piece of the watch into place, "There, this should fix it."

"Thanks… for everything." Lincoln sighs, "What should I do to help Lori out?"

"Well, when you get back, go to her. Talk a bit and hug it out. After all, you both have some stuff to get cleared up." The young boy stands up, "And remember, you're gonna be all right Lincoln, you're gonna have a great life, and Lori will always be by your side, as your older sister."

"I know." He sighs, "But… it still hurts."

"Same, but don't worry everything's gonna be fine." And with that, the older Lincoln taps the watch, causing Lincoln to glow for a moment.

"Wait!" He shouts, "I don't think I taught Lori the song!"

The young man waves him off, before holding up a tape recorder, "Don't worry, I forgot too! I've got it handled!"

"And the picture?" Lincoln tilts his head in confusion.

"Lisa's surprisingly good at photoshop." He chuckles. "Don't worry, everything's covered.

" _Close one."_ Lincoln can't help, but chuckle at the thought.

Suddenly, the world around him melts away and before he knows it, he's standing in Lisa's room again, his sisters surrounding him in surprise.

"You're home!" They shout in unison.

Lisa looks on in confusion, "How is this possible?! I have not finished the repairs."

" _Yeah… I'm home…"_ He remains silent for a moment, before answering, "I'll explain later." Then, he turns back to his sisters and sighs, "I need to talk to Lori."

"She's in her room." Lisa hops to her feet and takes the watch off his arm.

Leni then cuts in and places her hands on his shoulders, "Go to her, she's refused to talk to anyone else."

"Understood." And with that, Lincoln pushes through the crowd of his sisters, and steps out of his youngest sisters' room.

13-1-14, 12-9-14-3-15-12-14 18-5-1-12-12-25 4-15-5-19 8-1-22-5 9-19-19-21-5-19! 8-5 10-21-19-20 19-16-5-14-20 20-8-9-19 5-14-20-9-18-5 3-8-1-16-20-5-18 20-1-12-11-9-14-7 20-15 8-9-13-19-5-12-6!

 **A/N I hope you guys enjoyed! I thank Wolvenstrom for all of his help! Only one chapter remains!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **DreadedCandiru2: That's why tis story is able to run on a stable time loop!**

 **BoukenDutch: Yep! The man has finally made himself know and gave him the best advice he'll need!**

 **DarthSidious04: In order to maintain the time loop, yes.**

 **That Engineer: I have to call the doctor or the time paradox enforcement squadron!**

 **Zoinks81: I hope you enjoyed the explanation!**

 **Guest: Basically, you're spot on!**

 **gamelover41592: What a twist!**

 **Yellowpikmin88: The Doctor would be proud.**

 **Finnjr63: Yep! Thanks!**

 **JJ39: He did, because things had to loop back!**

 **rctperson85: Heh, nice one mate!**

 **TheLivingMyth** **: Yeah, older Lincoln is here! And it looks like I did my job well enough!**

 **DJTimmer** **: Thanks mate! You're just in time to see the ending!**

 **celrock** **: Yep, everything's coming full circle! Though, given my short plans for this story, there really isn't much room left for disaster sadly. Thanks for the support!**


	30. The Return Of A Brother

**A/N Man, I can't believe I was actually able to complete this challenge, but hey I'm here. After 30 days, welcome to the end of the NaNoWriMo entry! I hope you enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter 30: The Return Of A Brother

" _I have to make this right… She and both are having a tough time getting through what happened…"_ Lincoln takes a deep breath, before knocking on the door, "Lori?"

"Michael?" The young woman wearily responds.

"No Lori, it's me, Lincoln." The boy then pushes her door open, ever so slightly, "I'm back from the past."

For a moment, the young woman remains silent- seemingly unsure of just how to respond to the young boy's presence. Though, after a short moment, she sighs and opens the door up for him to enter, "Come on in, I guess we have some talking to do, huh?"

Wordlessly, the young boy complies and hops on her bed. In response, the young woman does the same, making sure to take a seat directly next to the boy.

For the next moment, the duo simply sits by in silence, with neither sure of just how to break the mood, given what had happened the past few days. Though, much to the young woman's relief, it is Lincoln that decides to break the silence.

"Lori… I'm sorry." He sighs, "I shouldn't have broken your heart like that…"

"Lincoln…" She wraps her free arm around him.

"I went back in time because I wanted to meet that boy you were talking so fondly about- maybe even get some advice for when I decide to finally ask Ronnie Anne out…" He looks away in shame, "Instead, I fell in love with you and became that boy…"

"Heh, I guess things are strange." Lori chuckles, desperate to calm the mood, though she fails.

"I'm sorry I broke your heart Lori… but I had to…" Lincoln's voice fills with a bitter pain. Despite all of his reassurances that this would be all right, he still finds his chest aching, almost as if he silently wanted to ask her for another chance.

In the next moment, Lori turns and wraps her arms around him, bathing the young boy in her soft heat, "Lincoln… when you broke up with me, I didn't know what to do… you told me that there was no point in waiting for you and that there would be another boy for me…"

"Yeah, I wanted to make sure that everything that is going on in our timeline happened, even the fact that you and Bobby are going out still." He looks away, though finds himself leaning in closer to her.

"Lincoln, I know this is gonna be hard for both of us." Her voice fills with a motherly softness, almost as if she had spent countless hours trying to think of this, "But… just know that boyfriend or brother, I love you all the same."

"Yeah… we're really gonna need to work on this… I still wonder what it would be like to go out again…"

Lori sighs, "Lincoln, you still have a broken heart, don't you?"

The boy rubs the back of his head, "Yeah… I've been telling myself that this had to be and all… I think I'm gonna be fine."

"Yeah." She breaks her grip on the young boy, before hopping to her feet, "You will be, because I'm gonna make sure that you do." She then smiles at him once more, "Thanks for literally getting Bobby and I together."

"No problem."

And with that, Lori grabs her phone and makes a call.

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

"Uhh… what's going on Babe?" Bobby tilts his head in confusion for a moment, "You seemed concerned when you called."

Lori and Lincoln turn to each other for a moment, before turning back to the young man, the young woman motioning towards her brother, "Bobby, remember Michael?"

"I think so." The young man shrugs, "I mean he promised to help me go out with you, only to end up dating ya and stuff." He then rubs the back of his head, "Thankfully, you broke up with him so I could dance with you."

She then motions towards Lincoln, "Bobby, this is Michael."

"Uhh, what?" Bobby raises an eyebrow in confusion, "What are you talking about? He's your brother!"

"Remember when Michael cleaned you up hoping to get Lori to notice you?" Lincoln asks, crossing his arms as he does so, "Ronnie Anne threatened me you know."

Suddenly, the realization begins to dawn upon the boy, Lincoln is the spitting image of his rival! They really do seem like the same person! "Uhh, please explain, how's that possible?"

"We have a ad scientist for a sister, bro." Lincoln snickers, "Time travel is the least crazy thing she's done in a while."

"Wow…" Bobby rubs his head, "I don't know what to say."

"I'll let you two get settled in." Lori quips, before stepping out of her room and heading downstairs, no doubt to give them some privacy.

"You don't have to say anything." Lincoln steps over to Bobby, "You owe me you know, for doing everything I did."

Bobby raises an eyebrow in confusion, "Uhh, what are you-"

"Trust me," He holds up a hand, "If it wasn't for me giving you a rival and pushing you to talk to Lori, you'd still be an awkward preteen.

For a moment, bobby hesitates his answer. Yes, if it was not for Michael coming around, he wouldn't have found the courage to ask Lori out, heck he wouldn't have even considered Carol! Though, Michael took Lori from him, only to let him get her at the dance. And so, with reluctant sigh, he nods, "Fine, what do you want."

"I want some pizza bro." Lincoln chuckles.

Bobby raises an eyebrow in confusion, "Really man?"

Lincoln crosses his arms and chuckles, "Yeah, what did you think I was gonna for? Another shot at Lori?"

"Well… you are Michael so…" He rubs the back of his head, before his eyes go wide once more, "Wait… is this Like 'Back To The Future' or something?"

The younger boy rubs his chin, "Now that I think of it… yeah, it's exactly like that."

The two then think about their situation for a moment, before sighing, the older boy continuing, "I think we're gonna need a pie or two."

"I'd ask for a beer, but I'm too young to drink." Lincoln chuckles, "After getting my heart broken like that and having to fix time, well, some things just need a nice cold one, you know."

"Heh, yeah." Bobby chuckles, before turning and stepping out, "Anyways, I'll be on my way, I've got work in a few, Linc."

"All right." The younger boy responds, before he watches his companion head out of the room, allowing him to follow by walking into Lisa's, where he finds Lori standing by the young girl.

"Oh hey Linc, we were just talking about you." Lori smiles, before stepping over to him.

"Oh? About what?" Lincoln tilts his head in confusion.

Lori turns to the young scientist for a moment, before turning back to him, "We just wanted to know why you kept going on and stuff."

Lincoln thinks for a moment, after all a question like that can have many answers! "I guess you can say love or something."

"Heh, really?" The young woman raises a curious eyebrow, "By the way, I still don't get one thing." She rubs her chin, "Why did you even say you loved me when asked about appearing in my room?"

Lincoln shrugs, "It was the first excuse I could come up with… I guess you can say I got caught up in the lie and began to hope that it could be really." He chuckles, "Besides, it was either lie, or get dragged away in a padded jacket for talking about time travel made by a four-year-old who wasn't been born yet.

Lori chuckles, "Good point." She then wraps her arms around him once more, "You know… I understand what you're going through."

"Really?" Hope begins to fill Lincoln's voice.

"Yeah, I've been through it myself." She chuckles, "Now that I think of it, that boy in the picture does look exactly like you… Though, as you grew up, I don't think I let myself see you like him, because I still had some feelings for him."

"That just sounds like denial." Lincoln quips.

"So does having issues telling past me and now me apart, 'McTwerp'. The difference being, I didn't know who you really were."

Lincoln chuckles, "Fine, you got me, but please, save the time travel puns for Luan."

"A most excellent idea." Lisa cuts in, her voice filling with excitement. No doubt she had grown tired of the puns as well.

Lincoln simply facepalms while Lori laughs.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Lisa raises an eyebrow in confusion.

Lori waves her off, "No, you're fine, go back to your work, ok?"

Lisa shrugs and complies.

And with that, Lincoln hugs Lori once more, a soft smile on his face. "Will we be ok?"

Lori smiles and returns the hug, "Yeah twerp. It's just gonna take a little more time is all."

"Heh, of course." Lincoln quips.

"Lincoln." Lori continues, "Any girl would be lucky to have you as their boyfriend."

"And Bobby is lucky to have you." The boy holds her tighter in response.

"Heh, now how about we go see the others? They haven't thanked you for helping them out, you know." Lori chuckles.

As much as he wants to decline the request and go off to think, Lincoln finds himself simply smiling at the idea, "You know what Lori, sure, lets go." He looks up, into her eyes, "Heh, I think you're my favorite now."

Lori chuckles again, "And you're my favorite brother."

" _Now I just have to survive my grounding when mom and dad give it."_ Lincoln thinks.

With that, they break their embrace, before simply stepping out of Lisa's room and heading downstairs. After everything that had happened between them, the duo feels closer than ever before, it is as if no matter what happens, they know that they will be there, together.

And when it comes to facing the future, working together is the best thing that they can do. After all, that's what love and family is for.

 _ **The End**_

 **A/N And there you guys go! I hope you enjoyed! Anyways, before I go any further, here's a short scene Wolvenstrom sent me the draft for and I completed. I hope you enjoy!**

 _ **Bonus Scene:**_

"Lynn, how do you always get me to agree to this?!" Rita shouts as the pain of giving birth rushes through her body once more. A moment passes, before it settles down, allowing the crying of an infant to fill the hospital room.

The doctor cuts the umbilical cord and checks the child for a moment, before chuckling, "Huh, well how's about that?"

Immediately, Lynn Sr. turns towards the man, "What?! What is it?!"

"Well, it's just, we have an ongoing betting pool over what gender your next child would be." He chuckles again, "I've had my bet down for a boy ever since you had Luan." He shakes his head, "I was cheated out of Lincoln because he was born elsewhere…"

"What're you getting at doc?" The man raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"Oh nothing." He then hands the child over to their father, "It looks like I'm finally going to be able to get the pot.

Slowly, the young father takes the child in his hands and smiles, "I have another son, finally…

 _ **A Few Years Later…**_

Once again, the same doctor cradles the newest Loud in his arms, "You know, after getting three more boys, I'm strongly considering switching my bet to a girl."

"You know, I'd be offended about this, right?" Lynn Sr. raises an eyebrow, "If you guys weren't so nice about us coming in!"

The doctor shrugs, "What can I say, we aim to please!"

 _ **A Few More Years Later…**_

The doctor wipes the sweat from his brow, "You know you two, I'm getting too old for this."

"Heh, so are we." Lynn Sr. chuckles, "But Rita and I wanted to have a huge family, so we're having it!"

"Reunions are gonna be killer. If I've been counting right, I've delivered twety out of your twenty-one children."

"What can I say?" Rita tiredly chuckles, "We're one Loud Family!"

12-15-18-9 9-19 2-5-19-20 19-9-19-20-5-18 1-14-4 12-9-14-3-15-12-14 9-19 2-5-19-20 2-18-15-20-8-5-18. 20-9-13-5 1-14-4 18-5-12-1-20-9-22-5 4-9-13-5-14-19-9-15-14 9-14 19-16-1-3-5 4-15 14-15-20 13-1-20-20-5-18.

 **A/N And with that, this story is complete! I thank Wolvenstrom for all of his help, I definitely wouldn't have been able to get this far without him! I also thank Insane Master Writer Studio for helping me plan out this story!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **gamelover41592: Thanks! And well, she was the first girl to come to mind.**

 **BoukenDutch: Yep! And most likely the second time was him reminding himself that it is a difficult time for present-Lincoln, since he had to go through it as well.**

 **364wii: Heh, I'm not making assumptions.**

 **DreadedCandiru2: Yeah! Then everything will be peachy, probably!**

 **Guest: Who knows? The past may be set in stone, but the future is not.**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: Everything's coming together!**

 **TheLivingMyth: Yeah, this is the final chapter! Thanks!**

 **Zoinks81: There's always something left behind, but hey, it's nice to give a lot, but tease for more!**

 **Yellowpikmin88: Yep! He now knows it!**

 **Finnjr63: There ya go!**

 **celrock: Heh, I hope you enjoyed! Thanks!**

 **Stall Walt: Thanks! Finishing a NaNoWriMo story takes a ton of dedication and time!**

 **JJ39: Yeah! I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Anyways, since this story is pretty young, there's not much in the way of trivia I can give. So instead, I'll just give some stats! Note, these are of the posting of this chapter.**

 **Total words (Without A/N and codes): 59,681**

 **Total reviews: 249**

 **Chapter with the most reviews: C26 – 15 reviews**

 **Chapter with the fewest reviews: C11- 3 reviews**

 **Total views: 13,493**

 **I thank everyone who's supported and encouraged me to get this far! You guys are the best!**

 **And for fans of Unwavering Bonds, that story comes back in 2 weeks, I'm completing the story's updated plan and I'm going to write it. Hopefully finals don't screw that hope over.**

 **Until next time, see you guys!**


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